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I.I 


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11.25      1.4 

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CSHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  canadien  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The 
to  tl 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
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modification  dans  la  m6thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu^s  ci-dessous. 


The 
pes: 
oft 
film 


□    Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


D 


Cov-TS  damaged/ 
Cc.'verture  endommagee 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 


I 1    Couverture  restaur^e  et/ou  pelliculee 


GCov« 
Le  ti 


Cover  title  missing/ 


tre  de  couverture  manque 


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Pages  de  couleur 

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I — n/Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
I  l/i    Pages  decoiorees,  tachetdes  ou  piquees 


Orij 
beg 
the 
sior 
othi 
firsi 
sior 
or  i 


D 
D 

n 
n 


D 


Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  rouleu:  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

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mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  iiti  filmies. 


□Pages  detached/ 
Pages  detachees 

I     T/IShowthrough/ 
LLd    Transparence 

I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 


D 


□ 


Qualite  indgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 


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Seule 


Edition  disponible 


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obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata.  une  pelure, 
etc.,  cnt  6t6  film^es  ^  nouveau  de  facon  a 
obtanir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


The 
sha 
TIN 
wh 

Ma 
diff 
ent 
bee 
rigl 
req 
me 


D 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires; 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmd  au  taux  de  reduction  indiouA  ci-dassous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  M  I  M 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
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Canadian  History  Department 

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de  la  nettetd  de  I'exemplaire  filmd,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  In  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  '/limed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tho  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  ate,  may  bn  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
metbCfd: 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimde  sont  film^s  en  commenqant 
par  le  premier  plat  ct  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmds  en  commenpant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  --•-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE".  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  fitre 
film6s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6,  il  est  film6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup^rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iliustrsnt  la  mdthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1  2  3 

4  5  6 


\ 


1 


V 


ISLAxND  OF  ANTICOSTI. 


SCIENTIFIC  EEPOETS 


MADE    33Y 


A.   R.   ROCHE,    Esq., 


^cforc  %  fikXiiq  mtb  Iktotkal  Sorietj;  of  Qmkt, 


AN0 


JAMES    RICHARDSON, 


Assistant  Geological  Survcjor  uudcr  Sir  Wlllinin  E.  Logan,  ProTinoial  Surveyor. 


-♦♦♦■ 


NEW  YORK: 

PRINTED  A.T  THE  COJIMEKCIAL  ADVERTISER  OFFICE, 
No.  4G  PINE   STEEET. 

18  6  5. 


/i7^^^' 


NOTES    ON    THE 


EESOURCES  AND  CAPABILITIES 


OF    THE 


ISLAND  OF  ANTICOSTL 

By  a.  R.  ROCHE,  Esquire. 

[Read  before  the  Literary  and  Historical  Society  of  Quebec,  4tli  October,  1853.] 


-♦♦♦- 


lu  the  midst  of  the  progress  which  is  going  on  throughout 
British  North  America  in  reclaiming  the  wilderness  and  in 
seeking  out  and  developing  new  sources  of  wealth,  it  is  a  matter 
of  astonishment  to  those  who  observe  that  progress  with  a 
view  to  increase  it  where  it  already  exists,  or  to  introduce  it 
where  it  lias  not  begun,  that  no  account  has  been  taken  of  a 
valuable  island,  large  enough  to  become  a  province  of  itself, 
lying  nearly  in  the  centre  of  our  North  American  colonies,  and 
at  the  threshold  of  the  most  important  colony  of  the  whole; 
that,  while  all  is  life  and  healthy  activity  about  and  beyond  it, 
and  a  commerce,  second  hardly  to  the  commerce  of  any  one 
channel  in  the  world,  is  carried  past  its  shores,  the  seasons  roll 
on  without  Ijringing  to  the  latter  any  change  in  that  state  of 
desolation  which  invests  it  with  frightful  yet  imaginary  terrors, 
and  which  has  done  more  to  injure  the  reputation  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  navigation  than  all  those  real  dangers  upon  the 
main  shores  of  the  river  and  gulf,  where  so  many  gallant  ves- 


7 


BoU  have  ted  wrecked  and  bo  many  valuable  lives  have  I.ecn 

'tlrious  cii-c«mstanoes  have  combined  to  give  the  worst 
ehavaeter  for  the  dangers  of  its  eoas,s  and  for  •  -  ."h..,,,  al.ty 
of  its  soil  and  climate  to  Anticost.,  the  island  ^'"d'.  „ ,!  ° 
obieet  of  the  writer  of  this  eoranmnieation  to  rescue  Iron,  tte 
s  te  of  neglect  in  which  it  has  existed  up  to  the  present  n.o- 
1  ,t-a  state  which  not  onlv  makes  it  useless  to  its  ,,ropneto|^ 
",d  to  the  Province  of  Canada,  of  which  .t  forms  a  part,  but 
'hid,  renders  it  injurious,  and  to  a  certain  extent,  destruetxve 
to  the  l)est  interests  of  the  latter. 

Among  the  eiveumstances  which  have  repelled  all  P>oper 
inquiry  and  all  enterprise  from  Anticosti,  and  «lneh have  done 
much  I  ininre  the  province  by  giving  a  worse  eharaeter  to  . 
great  outiet  than  it  really  deserves,  are  the  >l'^»f  -    ™™ 
famine,  which  occurred  there  before  provision  posts  were  caic- 
fully  kept  up,  and  the  opinion  which  has  hitherto  prevailed 
tha[  a  greater  proportion  of  vessels  have  been  w/-koa  "P"° 
the  islamlthan  have  been  lost  in  any  other  part  of  the  rner  o 
,.ulf     Thus  the  mariner  has  been  taught  to  regard  his  approach 
to  Antieosti  with  intense  dread,  the  island  having  having  been 
described  as  presenting  the  greatest  dangers    o  him  ^^hen 
afloat,  and  as'affording  no  sustenance  for  him  ,1  cast  upon  its 
shores.     But,  whatever  unfavorable  conclusions  have  been 
drawn  from  a  reeoUeetion  of  the  deaths  fro.n  fannne  winch 
Ik  place  there  many  years  ago,  and  however  far  the  opinion 
of  the  dangers  of  its  coasts  may  have  been  received  as  a  faithlal 
on     those  conclusions  and  that  opinion  have  been  based  upon 
unsinnd  foundations  and  been  supported  by  erroneous  eom- 
pariLis,  and  have  equally  borne  unjustly  upon  the  condition 
and  ru'ospccts  of  the  island. 

Those  who,  from  a  consideration  of  the  former  disasters,  and 
of  the  few  and  superficial  examinations  which  have  been  made 
along  the  beach,  have  pronounced  the  soil  and  climate  of  Anti- 
eotti  to  be  unsuited  to  the  growth  of  any  of  the  fnns  of  th 
earth,  have  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  persons  east  ashore  on 
Z  ;,ninhabited  place,  (-t  ^Hua.ed  within  the  tro,„es,  or,  a^ 
least  not  abounding  with  wild  and  nourishing  Iruits,)  would 
starve  to  death  if  left  without  supplies,  and  without  the  means 


si 


^  ^»Ksmm>.^ » 


vc  l)ccn 

3  worst 
-pitality 
ri  is  the 
["rom  tlic 
■jcnt  mo- 
prictors 
lart,  but 
•jtructive 

I  proper 
ave  done 
tcr  to  its 
ers  from 
^erc  carc- 
irevailcd, 
kcd  upon 
3  river  or 
approach 
ving  l)cen 
l\im  when 
t  ujiou  its 
lave  been 
line  which 
ic  opinion 
;  a  faithful 
)ascd  upon 
icons  com- 
>  condition 

asters,  and 
been  made 
te  of  Anti- 
Tuits  of  the 
t  ashore  on 
)pics,  or,  at 
lits,)  would 
t  tlie  means 


" 


of  removal  to  where  they  could  l)e  procured,  and  that,  in  an 
equal  state  of  neglect  and  solitude,  even  England  \vould  be 
found  as  inliospitable  in  regard  to  food  as  Anticosti  has  proved 
to  be  upon  one  or  two  occasions.     That  the  latter  should  be 
condemned  upon  the  result  of  the  exploration  of  two  or  three 
spots  along  the  beach,  is  also  as  unjust  and  al)surd,  as  if  the 
whole  of  England  had  been  declared  barren  and  useless  from 
an  examination  of  a  great  portion  of  the  shores  of  Cornwall,  or 
from  the  ai)pcarance  of  the  bleak  and  tree-less  country  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Brighton.    Assuming,  however,  that  all  were 
true  Nv'hicli  has  been  said  of  Anticosti,  that  its  soil  is  incapable 
of  producing  anything  in  the  shape  of  food,  still,  if  it  can  be 
shown  to  contain  other  resources,  which  may  be  employed  in 
industrial  and  commercial  pursuits,   and  wliich  may  be  ex- 
changed, not  only  for  food  and  raiment,  but  for  all  the  neces- 
saries, and  even  for  the  luxuries  of  civilized  life,  sufficient  will 
remain  to  convince  every  intelligent  and  unprejudiced  person, 
that  it  can  1)0  made  to  support,  and  that  it  will,  (at  the  present 
rate  of  progress  of  British  North  America),  probably  contain, 
at  no  distant  pei  iod,  a  considerable  population.    That  it  is  not 
only  capable  of  yielding  food,  but  that  it  possesses  natural  prod- 
ucts and  resources,  which  may  be  turned  to  account,  and  be 
exchanged  for  all  that  can  be  required  to  sustain  a  population, 
will  be  presently  shown,  as  soon  as  the  other  bugbear,  the 
reputed  dangers  of  its  coasts,  shall  have  been  disposed  of. 

To  those  who  have  drawn  conclusions  unfavorable  to  the 
island,  from  the  number  of  wrecks  which  have  been  reported 
to  have  taken  place  upon  it,  it  is  necessary  to  point  out,  that 
the  wrecks,  which  in  returns  appear  so  formidable  in  the  aggre- 
gate, under  the  head  of  "  Anticosti,''  have  not  occurred  at  one 
spot,  but  at  many  spots  widely  separated,  extending  over  a  dis- 
tance of  320  miles,  that  being  the  circumference  of  the  island, 
and  consequently  the  extent  of  coast  front,  not  taking  into 
account  the  indentations  caused  by  bays,  creeks,  &c.  Take  the 
same  Icnth  of  coast  upon  any  part  of  the  main  shores  of  the 
river  or  gulf,  and  it  will  be  found,  upon  proper  inquiry,  that 
six  times  as  many  wrecks  have  occurred  within  it  each  year,  as 
have  for  the  same  period  taken  place  upon  Anticosti.  Instead 
of  the  wrecks  upon  the  latter  having  been  compared  with  the 


6 


number  of  wrecks  spread  over  the  same  extent  of  coast  on  tho 
former,  they  have  been  generally  regarded  as  having  occurred 
at  one  spot,  and  have  been  compared  with  those  only  which 
have  happened  at  some  one  place  on  the  main  shore  of  the 
river  or  gulf,  of  a  few  miles,  or  of  less  than  a  mile  in  extent, 
lying  in  the  course  of  fewer  vessels,  yet  wrecking  annually 
nearly  as  many.    From  an  estimate  made  ^y/te  writer  of  this 
communication,  of  disasters  in  the  River  and  G"lf  ot  bt.  Law- 
rence  during  the  ten  years  ending  November,  1849,  it  appears 
that  half  as  many  wrecks  occurred  upon  the  Manicoiiagaii 
shoals  as  took  place  upon  the  island  in  that  period,  and  that 
Cape  Rosier,  Matane  and  Green  Island  each  wrecked  upwards 
of  a  third  of  the  number  of  vessels  wh^  A  were  stranded  during 
the  same  period  upon  the  whole  of  the  320  miles  of  the  much 
libelled  coasts  of  Anticosti.    The  Manicouagan  shoals.  Capo 
Rosier  Capo  Chat,  and  other  si>ots  upon  the  main  shores  ot  the 
river  aU  gulf,  are  places  not  only  much  more  to  be  dreaded  by 
the  mariner  than  Anticosti,  on  account  of  the  number  of  wrecks 
which  occur  upon  them,  but  in  consequence  of  the  great  loss  of 
life  which  sometimes  accompanies  those  wrecks,  while,  Irora 
the  shelving  nature  of  the  beach  at  Anticosti,  there  are  few 
instances  recorded  of  wrecks  upon   the  latter  having  been 
attended  with  loss  of  life.     While  the  circumstantially  related 
and  carefully  preserved  account  of  the  fate  of  the  crew  of  the 
Granicus,  wrecked  in  1828,  near  Fox  Bay,  (who,  in  the  course 
of  a  long  winter,  died  from  f^imine,)  has  creat3d  in  the  mmds 
of  many,  who  adopt,  without  reflection,  any  popular  fallacy 
placed  before  them,  a  belief  that  every  poverty'  of  soil    every 
drawback  of  climate,  and  every  danger  of  coast  must  belong  to 
Anticosti,  those  greater  dangers  and  those  more  numerous 
disasters  upon  the  main  shores  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  attended 
with  greater  loss  of  life,  have  been  almost  entirely  lost  sight 
of  or  if  thought  of  in  connection  with  the  former,  have  been 
Bet  down  as  unimportant,  when  compared  with  the  unfairly 
estimated  disasters  and  the  imaginary  dangers  of  Anticosti. 

The  evil  reputation  which  still  hangs  over  the  island  became 
attached  to  it  many  years  ago,  before  its  coasts  were  thorouglily 
surveyed  when  it  was  laid  down  in  the  chart  as  being  many 
miles' shorter  than  it  actually  is,  in  consequence  of  which  many 


t  on  tlio 
)ccuvr(Hl 
ly  which 
i-e  of  the 
I  extent, 
[innually 
31-  of  this 
St.  Law- 
t  appears 
icouagan 
and  that 
upwards 
}d  during 
the  much 
als,  Capo 
ires  of  the 
i-cadcd  by 
of  wrcckfi 
;at  loss  of 
lilc,  from 
■e  are  few 
ring  been 
ly  related 
•cw  of  the 
the  course 
the  minds 
lar  fallacy 
?oil,  every 
-J  belong  to 
numerous 
3,  attended 
'  lost  sight 
have  been 
tie  unfairly 
aticosti. 
md  became 
thorouglily 
eing  many 
vhich  many 


vessels  ran  upon  it  in  places  where  deep  water  was  supposed 
to  exist,  and  before  lighthourfes  were  placed  there,  since  the 
erection  of  which  and  the  lute  survey  of  its  coasts^,  wrecks 
upon  the  island  have  become  less  frequent.     Most  of  those 
which  now  occur  there,  are  caused  by  the  neglect  of  using  the 
lead  in  foggy  weather,  many  of  them  through  the  incapacity  or 
drunkenness  of  masters,  who,  generally,  are  shamefully  under- 
paid, and  some  of  them  through  design,  for  the  purpose  of 
cheating  the  underwriters.    Of  these  latter  cases  the  insurance 
offices  are  perfectly  aware;  but,  instead  of  endeavoring  to  meet 
them  by  preventive  measures,  they  increase  the  rates  of  in- 
surance so  as  to  cover  such  losses,  by  estimating  for  them  in  a 
certain  proportion  to  the  whole;  thus  making  the  entire  trade 
pay  for  the  dishonest  acts  of  the  rogue.    This  having  the  ef- 
fect to  increase  the  price  of  freight,  by  which  t'le  public  are 
the  sufferers,  in  having  to  pay  a  proportionably  increased  price 
for  all  articles  imported,  the  government  should  in  future  in- 
stitute a  strict  inquiry  into  the  loss  of  every  sliip  in  the  river 
or  gulf,  by  means  of  a  naval  police,  and  be  empowered  to  in- 
flict punishment  where  criminal  design,  or  even  gross  careless- 
ness or  drunkenness,  may  be  proved  to  have  attended  such  loss. 
Those  masters  who  desire  to  lose  their  ships,  generally  select  An- 
ticosti  for  the  purpose,  because  they  can  always  manage  to  run 
them  ashore  tliere  without  any  danger  to  life,  and  without  much 
risk  of  the  circumstances  attending  the  act  being  witnessed 
or  understood  by  persons  on  shore;  and  the  provision  posts 
being  now  well  supplied,  there  is  no  danger,  as  there  was 
formerly,  of  their  suffering  from  the  want  of  food.    Thus  many 
of  the  wrecks  which  take  place  there  are  produced  in  conse- 
quence of  the  ease  with  which  a  vessel  may  be  beached,  with 
safety  to  life,  on  many  parts  of  the  island,  and  not  through  its 
dangers  of  coast.    In  regard  to  the  latter,  those  masters  who 
know  the  coasts  of  the  island  well,  generally  make  free  with 
them,  (unless  there  happen  to  be  a  fog,)  in  perfect  confidence 
and  safety,  by  which  they  gain  headway  much  faster  than  by 
keeping  in  the  centre  of  the  channel,  or  along  the  south  shore 
of  the  mainland.    To  whatever  extent  plausible  reasons  may 
have  once  given  a  bad  name  to  Anticosti,  there  is  no  just  reason 
for  that  name  being  perpetuated;  and  those  who  yet  view  the 


i  ^ 


island  as  it  wn,  rcs«rae,l  shortly  aftcv  tl.o  wreck  of  the  Ornni. 
cTean  neither  co^proheml  the  unjust  f-ronn.ls  u,«n  u-h.eh  >t 
;:;  th  ncouaemned  nor  appreeinto  the  importanee  to  ev^y 
rountry  bordering  ni>ou  the  St.  Lawrence,  ol    n.any  reeen 
oven     attending  the  rapid  progre,.  of  the  trade  and  general 

IZnJt.  of  British  North  America.    That  the  . , land  should 

mrtic  pato  in  that  progress,  it  is  necessary  to  dtvest     o    tie 

!  notation  thro'uglr  which  it  >u,s  been  hitherto  Id.gl, ted, 

and  this  will  he  bet  accomplished  by  malung  Unown  m  ^  d,- 

tion  to  what  has  been  already  advanced  in  lis  belulf,«hat 

r  as  yielded  to  the  trining  labors  of  agrieulturc  wine    havo 

been  attcnpted  upon  it,  what  its  eliu.ate  has  been  found  to    o 

by  those  who  have  resided  there  for  many  years,  and  what  its 

mtural  resonrecs  and  its  important  advatitages  of  posUiou 

'""^lie  island  lies  W.  N.  W.  by  K  S.  E.,  '-t-en  tl,e  4flth  and 
60  parallels  of  North  latitude,  and  the  01st  and  >^'«<  d^S'^"  «« 
West  loncritudcatontfour  hun.lred  and  twenty  mdes  be  ov 
Q„:ie    three  pirts  of  it  being  in  the  gulf,  through  w  .c    > t 
stretches  out  towards  the  south-west  coast  of  Newfoundland, 
a"remaining  part  in  the  river,  the  waters  at  the  en  ranee 
ofwhich  it  divides  into  two  channels.    It  contains  nearly   wo 
mimons  of  acres,  being  upwar,ls  of  one-fonrth  larger   ha 
?  ■  nee  Edward's  Island,  which  is  a  pro,  .nee  of  itself,  with  its 
Lieutenant-Governor,  its  legislature  and  a  population  o  eighty 
ti  on  and  souls.    It  is  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  hmg 
Styiive  broad  in  its  widest  part,  which  is  at  the  South- 
West  Point,  nearly  in  the  centre,  whence  it  gradua  ly  narrows 
I^  both  end  ,  the  one  terminating  in  Heath  Point,  with  Fox 
Bay  lying  a  tew  miles  round  the  point  upon  its  northern  shore, 
IZ  L  :ther  end  terminating  in  West  Pomt,  -tU  E  «  B  y 
a  few  miles  short  of  it,  looking  towards  the  south.    Ihu.  heie 
iX  harbor  upon  each  side  and  at  each  extremity  of  the  island; 
but  Ellis  Bay  is  better  situated  for  the  general  shipinng  of  the 
sl  Lawreuee,  has  greater  idepth  of  water,  and  is  nnie  i  more 
snacions  than  the  other,  being  about  two  miles  wide   and 
four  de  P,  with  good  anchorage.    The  cecUent  position  of  the 
island  in  regard  to  ships,  commerce,  &e.,  becomes  at  once 


-K\,««»««»(*,i' 


e  Granl- 
which  it 
to  every 
y  recent 
I  ^(!neral 
^oiiig  on 
id  sliould 
it  of  the 
blighted; 
,  in  addi- 
irtlf,  Avhat 
liich  havo 
und  to  1)0 
.  what  its 
[  position 

!  49th  and 
degrees  of 
lies  })elow 
li  which  it 
foundhind, 
e  entrance 
nearly  two 
jrger  than 
;lf,  with  its 
>n  of  eighty 

miles  h)ng 
;  the  South- 
lly  narrows 
;,  with  Fox 
ihern  shore, 
1  Ellis  Bay 

Thus  there 
fthe  island; 
)ping  of  the 

nnich  more 
5  wide  and 
•sition  of  the 
nes  at  once 


I 


apparent,  wh(^n  we  consider  that  every  vessel  must  take  either 
of  thi!  channels  formed  by  Anticosti,  upon  entering  or  leaving 
the  river  whether  having  passed  from  the  Atlantic,  or  intend- 
in.^  to  i.ass  t,)  that  ocean,  through  tho.Strails  of  Belleisle  (now 
coming  much  into  use,  and  about  to  be  lighted,)  through  the 
more  frequented  passages  between  Newfoundland  and  tape 
Breton,  or  through  the   Gut  of   Canso,  or  whether  rnnning 
between  Quebec  and  those  portions  of  Canada,  and  oi  the   . 
lower  Provinces,  lying  upon  the  Gulf  of  St,  Lawrence.    In 
taking  cither  of  the  channels  formed  by  Vnticosti,  vessels  pass 
clo^e  to  the  island,  inconsequence  of  the  moderate  breadth  ot 
the  northern  one,  and  of  the  strong  south-east  current  which 
always  runs  along  the  southern  channel,  to  avoid  which   and 
the  risk  of  being  driven  upon  the  truly  dangerous  coast  ot  the 
south  shore  of  the  gulf  and  river,  where,  for  several  hundred 
miles,  there  is  no  harbor  or  place  of  shelter  for  any  cratt 
lar-er  than  a  schooner,  and  where,  for  long  distances,  there  is 
not^ono  foot  of  beach  outside  the  perpendicular  cliifs  to  land 
upon  vessels  generally  stand  out  till  they  make  the  West  l  oiut 
of  Anticosti,  close  to  which  is  situated  the  convenient  harbor 
of  Ellis  Bay,  occupying  a  spot  nearly  mid-distance  bctweer  the 
northern  and  southern  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  of  easy 
access  from  both  channels  of  the  river.     Considering  that 
about  two  thousand  vessels  from  Europe  alone  will  have  made 
this  point  in  the  course  of  the  present  season,  some  slight  idea 
may  be  conceived  of  the  capabilities  of  position  attached  to 
the  island,  and  in  particular  to  Ellis  Bay.    The  inner  anchor- 
age of  this  bay  has  a  depth  of  from  three  to  four  fathoms  at  low 
water,  with  excellent  holding  ground,  (gravel  and  mud,)  is  of 
as  large  capacity  as  the  harbor  of  Montreal,  and  has  been 
found,  by  experience,  to  afford  perfect  shelter,  in  all  winds,  to 
vessels  of  upwards  of  500  tons;  while  the  outer  portion  of  the 
anchorage  could  be  materially  improved  at  a  trifling  expense, 
80  as  to  be  able  to  contain  in  safety,  during  all  winds,  almost 
any  number  of  vessels  of  the  largest  size.    Docks,  with  a  patent 
slip,  &c.,  could  also  be  easily  constructed  there,  which  would 
be  adinirablv  situated  for  the  repair  of  vessels,  stranded  or 
receiving  other  damage  throughout  the  lower  St.  Lawrence, 
most  of  them  becoming  broken  up  by  the  action  of  thc,>  sea,  and,, 


10 

in  some  cases,  dismantled  by  wreckers,  before  they  can  obtain 
assistance  from  Quebec,  or  the  intelligence  of  tlieir  condition  can 
f      be  conveyed  there;  which  port,  strange  to  say,  is  the  only 
place  from  the  Atlantic  to  Montreal,  (a  distance  of  upwards  of 
eight  hundred  miles,)  where  vessels  can  be  properly  overhauled, 
or  be  supplied  with  the  commonest  stores,  such  as  anchors, 
chains,  sails,  &c.    For  steam  tugs,  employed  for  the  relief  of 
»  vessels  in  distress,  Ellis  Bay  might  also  be  made  an  excellent 
station.    With  the  facilities  there  for  procuring  shelter  for  our 
shipping  in  a  portion  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  where  a  spacious 
and  deep  harbor  is  more  wanted  than  in  any  other  part  of  the 
river  or  gulf,  it  is  astonishing  that  no  attention  has  yet  been 
directed  to  that  spot.    This  neglect,  however,  cannot  long 
continue.    It  could   be  made,  not  only  a  fine    commercial 
harbor,  but  also  an  excellent  naval  station,  in  the  most  con- 
venient and  central  spot  for  commanding,  with  a  few  steam 
vessels  or  gunboats,  the  two  entrances  of  the  river,  and  for 
sending  out  cruisers  up  the  latter,  or  to  any  part  of  the  gulf. 
And  it  is  not  impossible  that  the  want  of  such  an  armament  in 
our  waters  may  be  felt  before  the  termination  of  the  present 
difficulties  in  Europe.    For  the  good  order  of  those  engaged 
in  our  fisheries,  (whether  foreigners  or  our  own  fishermen,) 
which,  under  the  reciprocity  treaty,  will  be  much  resorted  to  by 
the  Americans,  some  of  the  most  valuable  of  the  fisheries  being 
in  the  vicinity  of  Anticosii,  the  presence  there  of  such  a  force 
would  be  very  useful.    Its  influence  as  a  check  upon  "  wreck- 
ers," (who  swarm  in  the  St.  LaAvrejj.ce  more  than  is  generally 
supposed,)  might  also  be  enlarged  upon.    For  these  objects  of 
commerce,  of   defence   and    of  police,   the    fine    Imrbor    of 
Gaspci  Basin,  (situated  twenty-five  miles  from  the  gulf,)  is  too 
much  out  of  the  way;  besides  which  a  fair  wind  for  taking  a 
ship  out  of  it,  and  of  its  outlet  Gasp6  Bay,  becomes  a  head 
wind,  as  soon  as  it  becomes  necessary  to  tack  to  come  up  the 
St.  Lawrence.    For  the  same  objects,  the  harbors  of  Mingan 
and  Seven  Islands,  upon  the  north  shore  of  the  river,  are  as 
much  out  of  the  way,  and  are  too  long  closed  by  the  ice.     As 
for  the  improvements  of  Ellis  Bay,  it  appears  that  they  need 
be  very  slight  to  make  it  one  of  the  finest  harbors  in  British 
America;  merely  the  erection  of  piers  upon  the  flat  limestone 


•■^;«•f1«r»^..■*^^ 


11 


m  obtain 
lition  can 

the  only 
)Ward3  of 
crhauled, 

anchors, 

relief  of 
excellent 
er  for  our 

spacious 
rt  of  the 
yet  heen 
not  long 
mmercial 
nost  con- 
3w  steam 
,  and  for 

the  gulf, 
ament  in 
e  present 

engaged 
shcrmen,) 
i-ted  to  by 
ries  being 
li  a  force 
1  "  wreck- 
generally 
objects  of 
arbor  of 
If,)  is  too 

taking  a 
)s  a  head 
le  up  the 
•f  Mhigan 
er,  are  as 
i  ice.  As 
tliey  need 
in  British 
limestone 


reefs  running  out  from  Cape  Henry  and  Cape  Eagle,  -which 
form  the  entrance,  these  reefs  being  uncovered  at  low  water, 
and  already  affording   a  considerable  shelter  to  the  outer 
anchorage  of  the  bay.    In  magnitude  and  coast,  these  improve- 
ments could  not  be  compared  to  what  has  been  recently  accom- 
plished in  the  harbors  of  the  Bahamas  and  Bermuda,  by  labor 
and  science  combined.     Besides  the  advantages  which  have 
been  glanced  at  as  belonging  to  Ellis  Bay,  some  of  the  best 
soil  and  some  natural  meadows,  producing  excellent  grasses, 
six  feet  high,  are  found  upon  its  shores,  where  the  resident  in 
charge  of  the  provision  post  grows  every  description  of  vege- 
tables; but  wheat,  or  any  other  grain,  has  never  been  tried  in 
that  part  of  the  island.     It  is  also  stated,  that,  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  bay,  Avild  hay  could  be  cut  sufficient  to  feed  a 
thousand  head  of  cattle  during  the  winter.    Nor  is  this  spot 
barren  in  scenery;  for,  upon  approaching  it,  a  most  pleasing 
view  is  obtained  of  the  spacious  bay,  having  in  all  parts  a  fine 
beach,  which  at  each  side  is  bounded  by  wooded  cliffs,  those 
on  the  east  side  showing  tableland  and  other  heights  beyond, 
and  at  the  head  of  the  bay  the  beach  gently  rises  and  expands 
into  a  slight  rolling  country,  containing  forest  and  meadow 
land;  the  whole  being  relieved  in  the  distance  by  two  hills  of 
moderate  height,  covered  with  trees.    Near  the  centre  of  the 
bay,  a  few  yards  from  the  beach,  stand  the  buildings,  the  garden 
and  fields  of  the  resident,  close  to  a  picturesque  trout  stream. 
When  Anticosti  shall  be  properly  known  and  occupied,  this 
spot  will  probably  become  the  resort  of  many  of  those  who 
now  seek  health  or  recreation  at  the  less  bracing  and  less  in- 
teresting watering  places  upon  the  main  shores  of  the  river; 
and  of  the  salubrity  of  tlie  climate  there  can  be  no  doubt,  for 
all    who  have  resided  there  describe  it  as  being  the  most 
healthy  place  in  tlie  world.    The  first  seigneur,  (to  whom  it  was 
granted  in  1680  for  services  rendered  to  the  crown  of  France,) 
used  to  reside  every  summer  upon  the  island,  and  it  is  supposed 
that  he  was  buried  there.    At  this  spot  there  are  many  sub- 
stantial elements  for  the  growing  up  of  a  large  and  flourishing 
town,  some  of  wliich  are  alluded  to  in  other  parts  of  this  com- 
munication. 
For  large  schooners  there  is  excellent  shelter  at  Fox  Bay, 


12 

at  the  north-east  end  of  the  island,  and  also  at  the  South-West 
Point,  where  it  is  quite  practicable  to  make  a  harbor  of  refuge 
for  the  lar.iest  ships;  which  would  be  of  great  use  to  homeward- 
bound  vessels  in  the  Autumn,  whenever  south-east  winds  set  in, 
to  run  into  and  anchor,  instead  of  being  driven  back  for 
several  hundred  miles,  and  having  to  encounter  again,  under 
the  worst  circumstances,  the  most  dangerous  part  of  the  whole 
navigation  between  the  Atlantic  and  Quebec.    There  are  also 
several  good  roadsteads,  such  as  Bear  Bay,  situated  on  the 
north  side  of  the  island,  sheltered  from  most  winds,  with  good 
holding-ground;  and  there  is  shelter  for  schooners  at  the  en- 
trances of  many  of  the  rivers,  some  of  which  are  navigable 
for  small  boats,  or  canoes,  a  considerable  distance.     Obser- 
vation Kiver,  lying  five  miles  west  of  South-West  Point,  has 
sometimes  six  feet  of  water  at  the  entrance;   and  there  is 
hardly  a  mile  of  coast  on  any  part  of  the  island  without  its 
stream  of  fresh  and  delicious  water,  many  of  them  proceeding 
from  lakes,  one  of  which,  at  tiie  head  of  Observation  llivcr,  is 
supposed  to  be  nearly  twenty  miles  long  and  several  broad. 
Some  of  the  rivers  have  very  high  banks,  with  very  beautiful 
falls,  and  excellent  mill  sites,  and  these  falls  have  a  good  sup- 
ply of  water  during  the  whole  summer.     The  island  on  the 
south  side  generally  rises  from  about  twenty   to   sixty  feet 
above  the  beach,  (but  at  the  entrance  of  Observation  River  it 
is  between  200  and  300  feet  high,)  and  is  nearly  level  to  the 
centre,  where  a  range  of  moderate  sized  hills  appear  to  run 
its  entire  length,  and  upon  the  nortli  side  to  terminate  in  steep 
cliffs.    It  is  mostly  covered  with  a  thick  forest  of  trees,  stunted 
near  the  shore,  (like  those  upon  a  great  part  of  the  coasts  of 
England  and  of  other  countries.)  but  which  become  gradually 
larger  as  they  approach  the  interior,  and  are  less  exposed  to 
the  influence  of  the  wind  and  sea.    This  is  very  remarkable 
upon  some  of  the  bays,  wnere,  at  the  exposed  points,  they  are 
very  small,  and  gradually  increase  in  size  from  each  side  to 
the  centre;  those  nearest  the  sea  being  sometimes  quite  white 
in  appearance,  from  the  salt  which  is  thrown  and  crjstalizes 
upon  them.    It  is  the  stunted  growth  of  the  wood  upon  the 
sea  shore  which  has  given  a  coloring  to  the  reports  of  those 
persons,  who,  having  landed  upon  the  beach  for  a  few  hours 


:  <f.. 


i 


13 


)utli-West 
of  refuge 
omcward- 
nds  set  in, 
back  for 
ain,  under 
the  -svliole 
3  are  also 
ed  on  the 
with  good 
at  the  en- 
navigable 
3.     Obscr- 
Point,  has 
i  there  is 
vithoiit  its 
)rocecdiug 
1  lliver,  is 
iral  Ijroad. 
f  beautiful 
good  sup- 
nd  on  the 
sixty  feet 
1  River  it 
vol  to  the 
ear  to  run 
ite  in  steep 
les,  stunted 
)  coasts  of 
I  gradually- 
exposed  to 
emarkable 
;s,  they  are 
icli  side  to 
[uite  white 
crystalizes 
I  upon  the 
:s  of  those 
L  few  hours 


only,  have  pronounced  judgment  upon  the  whole  island  from 
what  they  saw  there.    Tlie  trees  are  spruce,  fir,  red  and  white 
birch,  ash,  quantities  of  very  fine  tamarack,  and,  upon  the 
north  side  of  the  island,  some  good  sized  pine.     With  the 
tamarack  and  pine  growing  there,  and  the  immense  quantities 
of  valuable  timber  drifted  upon  the  island  from  Quebec  and 
other  places  after  every  easterly  pale,  many  ships  might  be 
built  every  year.    Like  the  valuable  meadows  for  cattle  and 
sheep,  which  have  recently  been  discovered  in  Minnesota,  in 
the   "Far  West,"  there  are  here   many  very  fine  natural 
meadows,  producing  rich  grasses,  five  and  six  feet  high;  and 
in  some  parts  there  are  alternate  ranges  of  wood  and  open 
plain.     On  the  south  side  of  the  island  there  are  several  peat 
boo-s  of  some  extent,  and  some  salt  marshes,  caused  by  the 
overflowing  of  tUe  sea  at  certain  periods,  which  must  tend  to 
fertilize  rather  than  to  impoverish  the  land,  and,  near  the 
South-West  Point,  there  are  some  large  salt  ponds,  which, 
were  labor  plentiful  there,  might  be  turned  to  account  in  the 
manufacture  of  salt :  a  manufacture  which  would  become^  of 
some  value  to  a  great  part  of  our  North  American  fisheries, 
which,  as  well  as  the  whole  of  Canada,  are  now  supplied  with 
salt  from  England  or  the  United  States,  and,  for  ci  ring  fish 
and  provisions,  bay  salt,  formed  from  the  sea  and  from  salt 
ponds,  is  the  most  valuable.     In  consequence  of  there  not 
having  been  a  sufficient  supply  of  salt  upon  the  island,  an 
immense  quantity  of  fish,  caught  at  Anticosti  last  year,  had  to 
be  thrown  away;  and,  during  the  present  season,  the  fishermen 
at  Arichat,  Cape  Breton,  were  forced  to  sell  mackerel  at  from 
six  pence  to  ten  pence  a  hundred,  or  to  see  them  rot  upon  the 
beach,  through  not  having  enough  salt  to   cure  them  with. 
This  latter  circumstance  occurred  at  a  time  when  mackerel  was 
selling  at  Boston  for  nineteen  dollai    a  barrel.     Some  of  the 
Bahama  islands  are  retained  merely  on  account  of  the  salt 
ponds  which  they  contain  ;  and  at  Ceylon  a  large  revenue  is 
derived  from  the  salt  works  carried  on  in  that  island.    The 
•i!i]^ortance  of  the  trade  in  this  useful  article  may  also  be 
understood,  from  the  fiict  that  two-thirds  of  the  vessels,  lately 
captured  by  England  from  Russia,  were  laden  with  salt.     For 
the  manufacture  of  this  article,  and  for  other  pursuits,  almost 


14 


any  amount  of  cheap  labor  could  bo  procured  from  Metis,  and 
other  populous  places,  situated  upon  the  south  shore  of  the  St. 
Lawrence;  but  if  industrial  pursuits  were  opened  out  there, 
and  land  offered  for  sale,  settlers  would  soon  be  attracted  to 
the  island.  Several  persons,  who  have  been  engaged  there  for 
many  years  in  fishing  and  hunting,  or  in  charge  of  the  light- 
houses and  provision  posts,  have  already  expressed  to  the 
writer  their  desire  to  purchase  land  upon  it,  and  to  combine 
agriculture  with  their  present  occupations;  but,  without  any 
permanent  interest  in  the  soil,  they  have  little  inducement  to 
use  much  exertion  in  clearing  and  cultivating  it,  or  in  attempt- 
ing to  improve  the  island  in  any  way.  It  is  from  personal 
inquiry  of  many  of  these  parties,  as  well  as  of  others,  who 
have  resided  there  for  many  years  at  former  periods,  and  from 
an  examination  of  every  authority  relating  l^o  the  island,  that 
ihe  writer  is  enabled  to  bring  forward  so  many  facts,  in  sup- 
port of  the  views  which  ho  has  adopted,  in  regard  to  its 
resources  and  capabilities. 

Rearing  of  cattle  and  sheep  at  Anticosti,  for  the  supply  of 
those  engaged  in  the  fisheries,  of  shipping,  and  of  the  dear 
markets  of  Quebec,  would,  no  doubt,  pay  very  handsomely. 
While  the  natural  grasses  are  as  rich  as  any  upon  this  conti- 
nent, it  appears  that  cattle  can  be  left  out  to  graze  there  longer 
than  they  can  be  at  Quebec :  a  circumstance  which  has  just 
been  communicated  to  the  writer  by  the  present  lessee  of  the 
island,  who  has  at  this  moment  several  head  of  fine  cattle  of 
the  Ayrshire  breed,  at  the  South-West  Point.  But  if  the 
natural  grasses  should  not  be  found  sufficient  for  numerous 
herds  of  cattle,  the  famous  tussac  grass  of  the  Falkland 
Islands,  which  delights  in  a  salt  atmosphere,  and  which  has 
been  carried  to  the  Orkney  Islands,  and  been  found  to  llourish 
there,  might  be  introduced.  At  the  former  it  grows  upon  peat 
similar  to  that  which  exists  at  Anticosti.  The  seed  of  this 
grass  has  already  become  an  article  of  profital)le  export  from 
the  Falkland  Islands;  and  the  grass  is  found  upon  many  parts 
of  the  coast  of  South  America,  where  wild  cattle  abound. 
When  we  consider  that  remote  and  inclement  Iceland  raises 
her  flocks  and  herds,  her  sheep  numbering  500,000,  her  horses 
60,000,  and  her  horned  cattle  40,000,  and  exports  the  finest 


15 


letis,  and 
of  the  St. 
out  there, 
tractcd  to 
I  there  for 
the  light- 
ed to  the 

0  combine 
thout  any 
cement  to 
Q  attempt- 

1  personal 
hers,  who 
,  and  from 
land,  that 
its,  in  sup- 
iird  to  its 

supply  of 
the  dear 
mdsomely. 
this  conti- 
erc longer 
h  has  just 
see  of  the 
e  cattle  of 
»ut  if  the 
numerous 
Falkland 
which  has 
to  nourish 
upon  peat 
ed  of  this 
port  from 
lany  parts 
e  abound, 
and  raises 
ler  horses 
the  finest 


fleeces,  also  dairy  and  other  produce,  we  have  every  reason  to 
hope   that  Anticosti,  situated  in  the  midst  of  the  fisheries, 
which  employ  many  thousand  men,  of  a  vast  tratfic  carried  on 
by  upwards  of  two  thousand  ships,  and  within  easy  approach 
of  many  valuable  markets,  may  be  made  as  profitable  a  grazing 
country  as  any  portion  of  British  North  America.    It  was, 
however,  at  one  time  condemned  even  in  this  respect.    Because 
some  cows,  which  were  taken  down  there  some  years  ago, 
happened  to  die  in  the  course  of  the  winter,  a  report  was  / 
immediately  spread  and  generally  believed,  that  cattle  could 
not  live  upon  the  island;   that  there  was  some  poisonous  sub- 
stance in  the  gras^,  or  in  the  air,  which  must  prove  fatal  to  all 
cattle  coming  within  its  influence ;    and  this  belief  is  even 
entertained  by  many  at  the  present  moment ;  yet,  upon  proper 
inquiry,  it  appears  that  they  died  from  neglect  alone,  having 
been  repeatedly  left  for  several  days  together  without  food  or 
water.     Since  th?t  period  cattle  have  been  taken  down  there, 
and  been  found  to  thrive  remarkably  well.    At  the  South-West 
Point,  both  Mr.   Corbet,  the  lessee  of  the  island,  and   Mr. 
Pope,  the  lighthouse  keeper,  have  several  head  of  cattle,  as 
well  as  pigs  and  poultry,  all  of  which  are  in  excellent  con- 
dition.    Of  the  former,  Mr.  Corbet  says,  they  look  better  in 
the  spring  than  cattle  do  at  that  season  at  any  place  upon  the 
St.  Lawrence  below  Quebec. 

Resting  upon  a  substratum  of  limestone,  the  soil  of  Anticosti 
should  be  a  warm  one,  and  if  cleared  to  any  extent,  and  there- 
by exposed  to  the  sun,  and  drained  where  it  may  require 
drainage,  it  would  no  doubt  become  a  productive  one.  For 
the  purpose,  either  of  drainage  or  of  irrigation,  as  the  one  or 
the  other  may  be  desirable,  every  facility  is  offered  by  the 
numerous  rivers  and  rapid  streams  existing  in  all  parts  of  the 
island.  The  composition  of  the  cliffs  alone,  some  of  which, 
according  to  Capt.  Bayfield,  R.  N.,  contain  sand,  clay,  and 
limestone,  indicates  that  there  must  lie  good  soil  of  considerable 
extent  in  many  parts  of  the  island,  which  only  requires  clearing 
and  cultivation  to  yield  very  ftiirly;  for,  with  these  substances, 
and  the  fine  mould  of  the  vegetable  deposits,  which  have  been 
accumulating  in  the  woods  for  ages,  what  better  fiirming  lands 
could  be  desired?     In  Prince  Edward's  Island,  where  the 


u 

ground  requires  to  be  enriched,  immense  quantities  of  linicstono 
are  imported  for  that  purpose  from  Nova  Scotia.  Mr.  IM'Ewan. 
who  resif'cd  upon  Antico.sti  for  fourteen  mouths,  in  the  employ 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  (which  Company,  however,  as 
well  as  the  late  North-West  Company,  had  no  right  to  hunt 
and  fish  there,)  mentions  that  the  cliffs  rest  upon  a  foundation 
of  limestone,  that  the  second  stratum  is  often  composed  of  the 
cream  colored  clay,  and  sometimes  of  sand  and  gravel,  and 
that  the  clay  often  reaches  the  top  or  surface,  but  at  times  is 
covered  Avith  a  thickness  of  peat;  tlio  land  in  the  latter  case 
running  iuio  extensive  plains.  This  peat,  which  produces  ex- 
cellent natural  grasses,  and  also  the  lincst  vegetables,  where 
they  have  been  tried  upon  it,  may  be  turned  to  many  useful 
purposes.  In  Ireland  a  large  "  Peat  Company"  is  in  active 
operation,  having  a  factory  at  Kilbcrry,  where  th'iy  supply 
their  furnaces  entirely  with  peat  or  turf,  and  also  manufacture 
from  it  the  following  articles:  tar,  oil,  paraffine,  naphtha,  sul- 
phate of  ammonia,  charcoal  and  gas.  A  substance  from  which 
so  many  articles  possessing  powerful  heating  proi)erties  can  be 
produced,  it  is  to  be  hoped  will  some  day  be  made  to  supply 
one  great  want  of  the  present  age:  cheap  and  compact  fuel 
for  steam  engines.  Enough,  however, has  been  shown  to  prove 
that,  instead  of  its  presence  at  certain  spots  at  Anticosti  being 
considered  as  any  drawback,  the  peat  which  is  found  there 
may  be  regarded  as  a  valuable  resource  of  the  island;  for  what 
is  now  being  accomplished  with  it  in  Ireland,  may  at  some 
future  period  be  attempted  with  it  at  the  former. 

Of  the  interior  of  Anticosti,  Mr.  Corl)et,who  has  resided  at 
the  South-west  Point  for  ten  years,  and  who,  in  his  various  ex- 
cursions, has  seen  more  of  the  island  than  any  other  person, 
describes  the  soil  to  consist  generally  of  "black  light  soil,  clay 
and  sand,"  and  states  that,  "  from  the  immense  quantities  of 
sea-weed  with  which  the  shores  abound,  he  believes  the  land 
could  be  made  to  yield  every  description  of  farm  produce.  In 
the  same  statement  he  refers  to  what  ho  and  Mr.  Pope  have 
accomplished  at  the  South-west  Point.  The  writer  had,  how- 
ever, obtained  a  similar  statement  from  the  son  of  Mr.  Pope 
last  autumn.  At  this  spot,  which  Lieut.  Baddeley,  R.  E.,  who 
visited  it  in  1831,  declared  to  be  the  most  barren  and  uninvit- 


W.W. 


17 


linicstono 
.  M'Ewaii, 
he  employ 
)wevcr,  as 
t  to  hunt 
biiudation 
■:ecl  of  the 
ravel,  and 
it  times  is 
attor  case 
oduces  ex- 
leri,  where 
any  useful 
in  active 
"^j  supply 
anufacture 
l)htlia,  sul- 
I'om  which 
ties  can  be 
to  supply 
npact  fuel 
n  to  prove 
josti  being 
3und  there 
;  for  what 
y  at  some 

resided  at 
various  ex- 
ler  person, 
it  soil,  clay 
antities  of 
3  the  land 
oduce.  In 
Pope  have 
had,  how- 
■  Mr.  Pope 
R.  E.,  who 
id  uninvit- 


ina:  in  the  whole  island,  Mr.  Pope  grew  last  yerr  the  finest 
crop  of  oats,  300  bushels  of  the  best  potatoes,  (the  potato  dis- 
ease never  having  reached  the  island,)  and  .every  other  vege- 
table in  perfection  wliich  is  grown  in  Canada;  and  this  he 
did  upon  a  patch  of  land  adjoining  the  bleak  point  where  the 
lightliouse  stands,  where  the  soil  consists  of  a  description  of 
black  peat  resting  upon  the  limestone.  Mr.  Pope  supposes, 
though  he  has  never  tried  it,  that  wheat  might  be  successfully 
cultivated  in  the  interior,  which  has  never  been  explored  be- 
yond ten  or  twelve  miles  from  the  beach,  along  the  banks  of 
some  of  the  rivers,  and  then  generally  by  hunters  or  fishermen; 
parties  not  likely  to  look  for  or  to  care  about  agricultural  re- 
sources. How  much,  therefore,  must  still  remain  to  be  explored 
in  an  island  130  miles  long  by  nearly  40  broad  1  But  so  long 
as  oats  and  other  produce  raised  there  can  obtain  the  present 
high  prices  in  the  Quebec  and  other  markets,  it  will  be  of  very 
little  consequence  whether  Avhoat,  which  can  now  bo  purchased 
in  Canada  for  loss  than  an  ccpial  quantity  of  oats,  will  succeed 
there  or  not.  Yet  there  are  many  persons  ready  to  condemn, 
as  utterly  unfruitful  and  worthless,  any  place  which  could  not 
number  wheat  among  its  productions.  Of  vegetables,  Mr. 
Pope  could  have  disi)osed  of  any  quantity  to  ships  bound  to 
Quebec,  which  arc  often  becalmed  off  South-west  Point  after  a 
month  or  six  weeks'  voyage,  with  a  prospect  of  being  nearly 
another  month  in  reaching  their  destination.  The  supplying 
ships  under  these  circumstances,  especially  when  conveying 
cal)in  passengers  and  emigrants,  may  become  a  very  profitable 
occupation  to  the  settler.  Vegetables,  meat,  fish,  soft  bread, 
&c.,  could  be  easily  taken  off  to  vessels  in  boats,  as  they  are  at 
Portsmouth,  Yarmouth,  and  a  number  of  other  ports  in 
England,  under  circumstances  far  less  favorable,  by  bum-boats, 
the  owners  of  which  realize  immense  profits. 

The  statements  made  by  Mr.  Corbet  and  Mr.  Pope  regarding 
the  island,  have  since  been  confirmed  by  accounts  received 
from  several  other  parties,  who  have  been  engaged  there  in 
hunting  and  fishing  at  various  periods  during  the  last  fifteen 
years,  some  of  whom  are  still  employed  there.  But  not  only 
do  the  present  and  the  recent  residents  speak  well  of  the  island 
but  the  accounts  of  tliose  Avho  have  passed  considerable  periods 


upon  it  many  years  ago  arc  equally  favorable.    Mr.  Morrison, 
a  person  well  known  in  Quehec,  who,  (having  been  previously 
employed  at  Anticosti  by  tlic  Nortli-Wc^t  Company,)  was  sent 
there  about  fifty  years  since,  to  explore  a  portion  of  the  inland 
for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  settlement,  after  mentioning  in  his 
report  the  excellency  of  the  soil,  and  tlie  timber  which  he  found 
there,  including  ash,  large  pine  and  tamarack,  says:  "  I  had  a 
house  erected  on  the  south  side  of  the  island,  around  whicli  we 
made  a  clearance,  and  sowed  wheat,  barley,  and  oats,  all  of 
which  grew  very  luxuriantly  and  ripened.    Vegetables  and 
garden  stuffs  of  every  description  grew  remarkably  well,  and 
came  to  as  great  perfection  as  any  I  have  seen  in  Canada. 
There  is  very  good  clay  on  the  island,  of  which  I  made  some 
bricks,  and  built  an  oven,  and  whilst  there  I  imported  some 
cattle  from  Nova  Scotia,  and  found  that  tliey  throve  well." 
Why  the  explorations  and  labors  of  Mr.  Morrison  led  to  no 
result  at  that  time  is  thus  explained  in  his  statement,  made  in 
1842,  to  the  present  proprietors  of  the  island:  "After  I  re- 
turned to   Quebec  and  made  my  report,  Mr.  Grant,  the  then 
proprietor  of  the  largest  portion  of  Anticosti,  at  once  came  to 
the  determination  of  settling  it,  and  offered  to  me  th(;  superin- 
tendence.     During  the  winter  of  1804,  I   engaged  by  his 
directions  eighteen  men,  intending  to  proceed  with  them  to 
Anticosti  in  the  spring,  and  to  immediately  set  about  cutting  a 
road  across  the  island;  but,  unfortunately,  Mr.   Grant  died 
about  that  time,  and  the  intention  which  had  been  entertained 
of  colonizing  the  island  was  abandoned,  a  circumstance  much 
to  be  regretted."    Many  statements,  equally  favorable  as  to 
the  agricultural  capabilities  of  the  island,  made  by  parties, 
whose  residence  there  for  considerable  periods  should  give 
them  some  pretension  to  a  real  knowledge  of  its  worth,  in  that 
and  in  other  respects,  might  be  quoted;  but  sufficient  has  been 
given,  to  convince  every  reasonable  mind,  that  the  island  is 
not  the  utterly  barren  and  miserable  place  which  so  many, 
who  have  merely  touched  there,  or  have  sighted  it  at  a  distance, 
have  declared  it  to  be.    If  it  were  what  the  latter  would  wish 
to  make  it  appear,  those  who  have  resided  for  any  time  upon 
the  island,  would  certainly  not  combine  to  speak  well  of  it,  and 


19 


Morrison, 
previously 
,)  was  sent 
the  inland 
uing  in  liis 
c\i  he  found 
:  "  I  had  a 
1  which  we 
)ats,  all  of 
jtables  and 
y  well,  and 
in  Canada, 
made  some 
)orted  some 
irovc  well." 
»n  led  to  no 
!nt,  made  in 
'  After  I  re- 
,nt,  the  then 
nee  came  to 
the  superin- 
ged  by  his 
ith  Ihcm  to 
ut  cutting  a 
Grant  died 
entertained 
stance  much 
orable  as  to 
)  by  parties, 
should  give 
orth,  in  that 
cnt  has  been 
the  island  is 
ich  so  many, 
it  a  distance, 
p  would  wish 
ny  time  upon 
rell  of  it,  and 


express  a  desire  to  continue  there;  nor  would  many  of  them 
have  voluntarily  made  it  their  abode  for  ten  or  fifteen  years. 

AVhilc  the  accounts  of  these  parties  generally  agree  as  to  the 
timber  and  the  nature  of  the  soil,  they  represent  the  climate  to 
be  milder  than  that  of  Quebec.  Mr.  Wright,  a  surveyor, 
who  Avintcred  there  in  17G5,  during  what  he  then  considered  a 
very  severe  season,  shows,  by  his  observations  taken  there,  that 
the  thermometer  only  fell  as  low  as  15  degrees  below  zero,  and 
both  Mr.  Corbet  and  Mr.  Pope  informed  the  writer,  that  the 
winter  before  last  there  were  only  six  weeks  of  sea  ice  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  island.  This  mildness  of  climate  when 
compared  to  that  of  Quebec,  and  of  the  opposite  shores  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  is  easily  accounted  for  by  its  insular  position; 
the  island  being  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  a  wide  expanse  of 
salt  water,  the  modifying  effects  of  which  upon  climate  in  all 
parts  of  the  world,  even  where  the  width  of  sea  may  be  less 
than  a  mile,  is  well  known  to  all  who  have  ever  considered  the 
many  influences  whicli  will  bear  upon  climate,  irrespective  of 
latitude.  The  island  lying  nearly  east  and  west,  and  having 
highlands  running  its  entire  length  along  its  northern  shore, 
nmch  of  its  surface  must  be  protected  by  the  latter  from  the 
coldest  Avinds,  and,  even  among  the  range  of  highlands,  there 
must  1)0  many  green  and  sheltered  valleys  and  slopes  with  a 
southern  and  Avestcrn  aspect.  In  regard  to  degree  of  heat  and 
cold,  its  climate  is  much  like  that  of  NcAvfoundland;  but  it  is 
not  so  subject  to  fogs.  The  navigation  at  the  former  is  open 
for  about  six  Avecks  or  tAvo  months  longer  than  it  is  at  Quebec, 
and  it  is  i)robable  that,  Avith  properly  constructed  and  properly 
manned  steamboats,  or  with  Lieut.  Halket's  boats,  (so  favorably 
spoken  of  by  Lieut.  Osborne,  Captain  M'Clure,  and  other 
Arctic  navigators,)  a  communication  betAvecn  the  South-West 
Point  and  the  south  shore  of  the  St.  LaAvrence  could  be  effected 
occasionally  in  the  Avinter  months,  according  to  the  Avcather 
and  the  state  of  the  ice,  which  never  extends  across  or  blocks 
up  the  wliolc  channel.  The  experience  of  recent,  as  well  as  of 
former  Arctic  navigation,  should  convince  us  of  the  practicability 
of  the  undertaking.  A  communication,  during  that  ])eriod, 
could  certainly  be  often  kept  up  from  the  island  with  Mingan 
on  the  north  shore  of  the  river.     When  the  island,  shall  ha-vsc; 


1?0 


advanced  so  far  as  to  raakc  the  establishment  of  a  winter  com- 
municatiou  with  the  main  shore  of  importance,  it  would  bo 
advisable  to  employ  Tor  the  purpose  men  who  have  served  in 
some  of  our  Arctic  searching  ships,  or  have  belonged  to  somo 
of  the  Greenland  or  Davis'  Straits'  whalers,  wlio  could  also  be 
employed  in  the  valuable  whale  and  seal  iisheries,  which  exist 
upon  both  sides  of  the  island.     In  smooth  Avcather  a  few  of  the 
enterprising,  skilful  and  industrious  Esquinmux  would  easily 
accomplish  it  in  their  oomial's,  and  they  would  at  that  season 
be  the  best  seal  hunters  which  could  be  procured.     And  no 
natives  of  this  continent  are  so  susceptible  of  being  civilized 
as  these  brave  and  estimable  people.    This  is  fully  ])roved  by 
the  accounts  of  the  abilities  displayed  by,  and  the  gallant  and 
devoted  conduct  of  tliose  who  became  interpreters  to,  our 
several  Arctic  expeditions.    ^lany  men  have  obtair-^d  a  monu- 
ment to   their  worth,   who   did  not  deserve  one  .     rrt  than 
Augustus,  the  invaluable  r]squimaux  interpreter  to  rra...dinin 
his  iirst  and  second  expeditions;  who,  in  an  attempt  to  reach 
and  assist  Back  in  a  third  ex]iedition,  gave  up  his  life  rather 
tlian  fail  in  his  voluntary  mission,  after  his  companions,  in 
dismay  at  the  dangers  encountered,  had  turned  back  to  Fort 
Churchill,  on  Hudson's  Bay.     If  a  people,  numbering  many 
such  as  Augustus  among  them,  could  be  planted  in  a  civilized 
state  upon  tlie  north  shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  whence  many 
of  them  were  cruelly  driven  two  centuries  ago,  and  be  employed 
in  connection  with  Anticosti,  many  humane  as  well  as  useful 
?,ud  profitable  objects  would  be  accomplished  by  the  settlement 
oi^tjie  island.     To  reairn,  however,  to  the  difficulties  which  ice 
presents  to  the  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence.     AVere  the 
vessels  in  the  Quebec  trade  constructed  with  a  view  to  having 
to  navigate  a  sea  occasionally  encumbered  with  ice,  and  were 
they  commanded  by  men,  who  had  made  one  or  two  voyages 
in  a  northern  whaler,  we  should  seldom  hear  of  a  shipwreck  in 
the  ice,  consequent  upon  an  early  winter  setting  in,  or  upon  an 
unusually  late  arrival  of  the  spring:  two  events  which  have 
recently  happened,  and,  together,  have  caused  the  loss  of 
upwards  of  one  hundr':>d  ships.    Upon  being  beset  by  the  ice 
last  November,  many  masters  of  vessels,  finding  themselves  in 
a  difficultv  wl'.ich  was  ouite  novel  to  thoui.  and  for  which  thev 


^x., 


21 


vintcr  com- 
t  would  bo 
c  served  in 
^od  to  some 
)uld  alr^o  be 
which  exist 
I  lew  (»r  the 
^ould  easily 
that  season 
d.  And  no 
ig  civilized 
y  ])roved  by- 
gallant  and 
er.s  to,  our 
/^d  a  monu- 

1  ^  iT  than 
rra...diu  iu 
[)t  to  reach 
s  life  rather 
ipanions,  in 
ack  to  Fort 
ering  many 
a  a  civilized 
hence  many 
be  employed 
ell  as  useful 
e  settlement 
Ds  which  ice 
AVerc  the 
w  to  having 
je,  and  were 
two  voyages 
hipwreck  in 
,  or  upon  an 

which  have 
the  loss  of 
et  by  the  ice 
hemselves  in 
!"  which  thev 


were  entirely  unprepared,  became  perfectly  l)cwildcred,  and 
left  their  ships  unnecessarily,  wliile  others  immediately  cast 
anclior,  which  was  the  worst  step  they  could,  have  taken  under 
the  circumstances,  the  drifting  ice  cutting  the  resisting  vessels 
entirely  through.  Though  the  writer  has  made  many  inquiries, 
he  has  not  been  able  to  discover  more  than  a  very  small  pro- 
portion of  officers  or  men,  employed  in  this  trade,  who  have 
ever  made  a  voyage  in  a  northern  whaler. 

It  is  now  time  to  notice  those  resources  belonging  to  Anti- 
costi,  which,  being  wholly  independent  of  soil  and  climate,  may 
be  turned  to  immediate  account.  These  resources  principally 
consist  of  its  sea  and  river  fisheries,  which,  although  compara- 
tively neglected  by  Canada,  may  be  classed  among  the  most 
valuable  iisherics  of  British  North  America. 

In  the  recent  report,  published  by  the  New  Brunswick  Gov- 
ernment upon  the  fisheries  of  tluit  province,  mention  is  made  of 
the  valuable  whale  and  cod  fisheries  existing  upon  the  coasts 
ofAnticosti;  and  it  is  stated  that  the  Jersey  houses  fit  out 
vessels  to  carry  on  the  former  upon  both  sides  of  the  island, 
and  up  the  St.  Lawrence  as  far  as  Bic,  some  of  the  whales, 
("  hump  backs,")  being  seventy  feet  long,  and  yielding  eight 
tons  of  oil;  while  tlie  fishermen  of  Gasp6  frequently  resort  to 
the  east  end  of  the  island  and  take  cod  in  great  aoandance. 
In  his  w^ork  entitled  "  Newfoundland  in  1842,"  Sir  Richard 
Bonnycastle  states,  that  "  the  whale  fishery  is  pursued  along 
the  coast  of  Labrador,  in  and  through  the  Straits  of  Belleisle" 
(close  to  Anticosti,)  *'  and  that  whales  of  all  sizes  are  taken, 
from  the  smallest  finner  to  the  largest  mysticetus,  or  great  com- 
mon oil  whale  of  the  Northern  Ocean,  which  occasionally 
visits  these  regions."  It  thus  appears  by  these  authorities,  that 
on  every  side  of  Anticosti  valuable  whales  abound;  the  pursuit 
of  which,  and  of  seals  and  cod,  it  is  not  improbable,  could  be 
carried  on  in  winter  as  well  as  in  summer,  were  the  attempt 
to  be  properly  made;  but,  without  a  trial,  the  undertaking  may 
ever  remain  unjustly  condemned  as  impossible.  Should  such 
an  attempt  be  successful,  it  would  not  be  tlie  first  instance  of 
that  being  accomplished  upon  trial  which  theory,  timidity  and 
prejudice  had  long  declared  to  be  impracticable.  Here,  again, 
the  experience  of  our  northern  fishermen,  and  of  the  Esquimaux, 


who  fearlessly  encounter  t  .11  aifficultics  and  danger?,  of  the  ico 
and  of  the  vjcather,  and  v.ho  fish  in  winter  and  summer,  might 
bo  successfully  brought  to  bear. 

Of  cod,  Mr.  Corbet,  in  his  statement  made  to  the  writer, 
remarks  that  "  one  boat,  with  two  good  fishermen,  could  take 
off  South-Wcst  Point,  or  at  Fox  Bay,  eighteen  hundred  of  these 
fish  in  one  day;"  while  Mr.  Morrison  states  that  cod,  halibut, 
and  a  variety  of  other  fish,  could  bo  caught  all  round  the 
island  in  incalculable  quantities,  and  that  no  fir.or  cod  is 
caught  on  any  part  of  the  coast  of  A.merica,  or  on  the  l>anks  of 
Newfoundland,  than  is  to  be  met  with  there.  To  this  may  be 
added  the  testimony  of  Captain  Fair,  R.  N.,  of  II.  M.  ship 
Champion,  who  states  tliat  he  met  a  few  shallops  from  the 
Magdalen  Islands,  at  the  east  end  of  Anticosti,  where  they 
found  cod  in  great  abundance  and  of  excellent  quality. 

Of  hardly  less  value  than  the  former  is  the  seal  fishery, 
which  could  certainly  be  carried  on  in  winter  as  well  as  in 
summer,  many  seals  being  seen  on  the  ice  during  the  former 
season  and  in  the  spring,  and  thousands  of  them  being  observed 
during  tiie  summer  and  autumn,  at  the  entrances  of  all  the  bays 
and  rivers,  where  they  remain  almost  entirely  unmolested. 
To  show  the  value  of  this  fishery  in  the  gulf,  tlic  New  Bruns- 
wick official  report,  alread^:  cited,  brings  forward  an  instance 
of  a  schooner  engaged  in  it  from  ?yi1ney,  Cave  Breton,  having 
cleared  X14,000,  within  l!i,<c  v;ce!^s  of  her  having  left  that 
port.  Yet  at  Anticosti,  where  seals  abound  more  tlian  in  most 
parts  of  the  gulf,  this  fishery  is  at  present  almost  entirely 
neglected;  the  Americans  and  others,  who  resort  to  its  neigh- . 
borhood,  being  principally  engrossed  with  the  still  more  profit- 
able cod  and  mackerel  fisheries.  For  the  storing  and  preser- 
vation of  seal,  whale  and  cod  oil,  the  temperate  degree  of  heat 
at  Anticosti  during  the  summer  is  particularly  favorable. 

At  the  present  moment  the  mackerel  fishery  is  the  r.ost 
lucrative  one  in  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  is  the  most  extensively 
pursued,  mackerel  now  selling  at  Boston  for  nineteen  dollars  a 
barrel,  and  at  Halifax  and  Quebec  for  a  few  dollars  less  than 
that  sum.  No  part  of  the  gulf  abounds  with  this  fish  more 
than  the  neighborhood  of  Anticosti.  Many  schooners  visit  the 
coasts  of  the  latter  from  the  United  States,  the  Lower  Frov- 


« 


i**. 


23 


of  the  ico 
icr,  might 

the  writer, 
[■onld  take 
ed  of  these 
)(1,  hnlibnt, 
round  the 
"ICY  cod  is 
le  ])anks  of 
lis  may  be 
I.  M.  ship 
3  from  tlie 
vhcre  they 
ity. 

Dal  fishery, 
well  as  iii 
the  former 
m  observed 
ill  the  bays 
inmolcsted. 
Slew  Bruiis- 
an  instance 
ton,  having 
ig  left  that 
han  inmost 
)st  entirely 
0  its  neigh- 
more  profit- 
and  preser- 
^ree  of  heat 
rable. 

is  the  nost 
extensively 
en  dollars  a 
•s  less  than 
is  fish  more 
ers  visit  the 
iower  Frov- 


I 


I 


ii 


inces,  and  a  few  from  Claspe,  to  carry  on  this  fishery,  in  which 
tliey  arc  very  successful;  and  Mr.  Corbet  states  that  the 
mackerel  he  has  seen  in  July  and  August  come  in  shoals  «o 
thick  and  so  close  to  the  slioro,  that  as  many  as  ono  hundred 
barrels  could  be  taken  in  one  haul  of  the  net.  A  few  iiours' 
work  will  thus  sometimes  pay  the  whole  expenses  of  a  schooner 
during  the  season. 

Herrings  as  fine  as  any  in  the  world,  are  as  plentiful  about 
the  island  as  mackerel;  but  from  the  wretched  manner  in  which 
they  are  cured,  they  obtain  a  much  less  price  in  the  market, 
and  arc,  therefore,  comparatively  neglected  by  the  fishermen. 
To  make  this  fishery  as  valualdc  as  the  former,  a  few  of  tlie 
Dutch  North  Sea  fishermen  should  be  engaged,  who  would  in- 
troduce their  mode  of  curing  the  fish,  whioh  has  long  obtained 
for  "  Duich  llci-rings,"  the  highest  price  in  every  market  in 
Europe.  By  adopting  that  mode,  the  Scotch  fishermen  are  be- 
ginning to  compete  successfully  with  the  former. 

At  the  entrances  of  all  the  rivers  and  creeks  immense  quantities 
of  lobsters  are  thrown  up  1)y  the  sea;  the  collection  of  which, 
and  the  preserving  them  on  the  spot  for  distant  markets,  or 
sending  them  fresh  in  vessels  containing  wells,  to  our  home 
markets,  might  render  this  fislicry  a  very  profitable  one.  Eels 
are  also  very  numerous  and  very  fine,  and  are  often  collected 
by  parties  of  Indians,  who  come  over  for  the  purpose  from 
Mingan,  and  who  obtain  a  liigh  price  for  them  from  the  Ameri- 
cans. Some  of  the  halibut,  which  are  found  off  the  coast,  attain 
the  Avcight  of  three  or  four  hundred  pounds. 

The  caplin,  which  are  now  merely  used  as  bait  for  cod,  arc 
BO  abundant  around  the  island  that  they  are  sometimes  thrown 
up  by  the  sea  and  cover  the  shore  to  the  depth  of  two  feet. 
Were  they  properly  cured  and  exported,  they  would  find  good 
markets  in  Europe,  or  oil  of  an  excellent  quality  coaldbe  made 
from  them  by  the  simple  process  of  boiling. 

The  number  of  schooners  Avhich  resort  to  the  shores  of  An- 
ticosti  from  the  United  States,  the  Lower  Provinces,  and  the 
Magdalen  Islands,  in  pursuit  of  the  cod  and  mackerel,  is  so 
great,  that  there  are  sometimes  as  many  as  one  hundred  vessels 
fishing  between  the  East  Point  and  Fox  Bay  at  one  time,  all 
of  which  are  generally  very  successful.    If  these  fisheries  can 


^ 


24 


be  so  profitable  to  expensively  fitted  out  schooiierf!,  (of  from 
40  to  160  tons,)  some  of  which  come  a  distance  of  fifteen  hun- 
dred miles,  and  have  to  bring  every  su})ply,  including  provi- 
sions and  salt  with  them,  how  much  more  profitable  would  they 
become  to  parties  residing  upon  the  island,  who  would  have 
their  supplies  upon  the  spot,  and  who  could  carry  on  their 
operations  in  boats.  How  important  also  to  the  latter  would 
become  the  trade  which  might  be  created  with  the  former:  the 
supplying  them  with  provisions,  often  with  fit^hing  gear,  and 
with  every  description  of  marine  stores;  and  how  soon  would 
such  a  trade  lead  to  more  extensive  transactions,  in  regard  to 
the  purchase  of  fish  upon  the  spot,  and  the  disposal  of  it  in  the 
best  markets,  and  to  a  further  trade  in  West  India,  South 
American  and  Mediterranean  produce,  obtained  in  exchange 
for  fish,  and  being  in  great  demand  in  Canada.  It  might  also 
lead  to  the  gradual  rise,  at  different  points  of  the  island,  of 
good  sized  villages,  and  ultimately  of  towns.  Many  large 
towns  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  which  arc  now  places  of 
great  wealth,  have  risen  from  elements  quite  as  slight  as  these. 
Even  the  frozen  shores  of  Spitzbergen  may  be  pointed  out,  as 
having  been,  for  up>vards  of  a  century,  the  site  of  a  flourishing 
settlement,  supported  by  the  Dutch *N\iiale  fishery  alone.  Of 
this  settlement  of  Smcerinberg  on  the  island  of  Amsterdam, 
N.  "W.  coast  of  Spitzbergen,  Scoresby,  in  his  "Arctic  Regions," 
thus  speaks:  "  Such,  indeed,  was  the  bustle  produced  by  the 
yearly  visitation  of  200  or  300  vessels,  that  the  place  had  the 
appearance  of  a  commercial  or  manufacturing  town;  and  of 
such  consideration  was  this  village,  that  the  incitement  of  an 
advantageous  traffic  drew  a  number  of  annual  settlers  to  the 
place,  for  the  purpose  of  vending  such  stores  as  brandy,  wine, 
tobacco  and  other  commodities  in  constant  demand.  Not  only 
shopkeepers,  but  bakers  and  other  artizans  resorted  thither. 
Thus  the  naturally  barren  and  desolate  shores  of  Spitzbergen 
were  made  to  assume  the  appearance  of  a  populous  country; 
and  such  was  the  flourishing  state  of  Smeerinberg,  that  it  was 
compared  by  the  Hollanders  with  their  famous  settlement  of 
Batavia,  which  was  founded  about  the  same  time."  But  we 
need  not  confine  ourselves  to  the  past  for  examples  as  to  what 
the  enterprise  and  energy  of  man,  properly  directed,  may  ac- 


%$ 


r?,  (of  from 
fifteen  Imn- 
diiig  provi- 
would  they 
would  have 
ry  on  their 
atter  would 
former:  the 
^  gear,  and 
soon  would 
n  regard  to 

of  it  in  the 
ndia,  South 
n  exchange 
t  might  also 
16  island,  of 
Manv  large 
w  places  of 
^ht  as  these, 
ntcd  out,  as 
L  flourishing 

alone.  Of 
Amsterdam, 
ic  Regions," 
iced  by  the 
lace  had  the 
3wn;  and  of 
iment  of  an 
tiers  to  the 
•andy,  wine, 
.  Not  only 
ted  thither. 
Spitzbcrgen 
us  country; 
,  that  it  was 
3ttlement  of 
B."  But  we 
I  as  to  what 
ted,  mav  ac- 


complish in  places  the  most  inhospitable,  or  as  to  the  advanta- 
ges of  carrying  the  fisheries  on  from  stations  planted  in  their 
imnicdiato  vicinity,  the  intelligence  having  this  moment 
•  reached  us  of  the  extraordinary  success  which  has  already 
attended  the  efforts  of  the  gallant  Arctic  voyager,  Capt. 
Penny,  to  establish  a  permanent  whale  fishing  settlement  upon 
the  bleak  shores  of  Davis'  Straits. 

Shore-whaling  has  been  very  successful  at  New  Zealand,  and 
may  be  made  so  at  Anticosti,  around  which  whales  are  so  nu- 
merous that  they  arc  sometimes  found  stranded  upon  the  beach. 
While  the  men  engaged  in  the  pursuit  would  be  able  to  devote 
the  whole  of  their  time,  from  the  first  opening  to  the  latest 
period  of  the  season,  to  the  capture  of  the  whale,  (towing  each 
one  ashore  as  soon  as  caught,)  their  families  could  be  employed 
in  cutting  up  the  blubber,  extracting  and  storing  the  oil,  pre- 
paring the  whalebone,  tfcc;  so  that  no  useful  portion  of  the 
animal  would  be  lost,  and  the  capture  of  the  greatest  number 
of  whales  would  be  insured.  The  ])arties  on  shore  could  like- 
wise be  employed  in  making  casks  and  other  articles  used  in 
the  "  try  houses  "  for  boiling  the  Idubber.  Under  the  usual 
system  many  opimrtunities  of  a  capture  are  lost,  in  proceeding 
to  and  returning  from  the  fishery,  and  much  time  is  wasted  in 
the  extracting,  stowing  and  disposal  of  the  oil,  while  much 
that  would  be  valuable,  were  it  preserved,  is  thrown  over- 
board, and  a  good  deal  of  oil  is  lost  by  leakage.  In  regard  to 
the  fisheries  generr  lly,  the  advantage  of  being  able  to  cure  the 
fish  upon  shore,  in  proper  houses,  instead  of  curing  them  care- 
lessly on  board,  must  be  apparent  to  every  one.  What  add  to 
the  value  of  Anticosti  as  a  fishing  station,  are  the  numerous 
creeks  and  rivers,  affording  perfect  shelter  for  boats  and 
schooners,  with  a  fine  beach  to  land  upon,  which  are  found  on 
both  sides  of  the  island. 

So  long,  however,  as  distant  fisheries  can  be  carried  on  with 
a  profit,  there  can  be  no  reason  why  Canada  should  not  parti- 
cipate in  the  latter,  as  well  as  in  the  former,  should  she,  with 
her  large  and  increasing  resources  for  successfully  embarking 
in  any  undertaking,  begin  to  evince  that  spirit  of  enterprise 
which  led  the  earlier  colonists  of  the  neighbouring  States,  to 
fit  out  vessels  for  the  pursuit  of  tlie  most  distant  whale  fish- 


26 


•r 


.4 


eries,  as  well  as  to  carr^  on  in  boats  that  which  existed  upon 
their  own  shores.  Anticosti,  where  there  is  excellent  accom- 
modation for  any  number  of  vessels  of  from  300  to  400  tons 
burden,  (the  size  mentioned  by  Scorcsby  as  best  adapted  for* 
the  Greenland  and  Davis  Straits'  fisheries,)  might  eventually  be 
made,  in  regard  to  the  great  southern,  as  well  as  to  the  great 
northern  fisheries,  such  a  station  for  the  fitting  out  of  wlialers, 
and  for  the  exportation  of  their  produce,  as  Nantucket  and 
New  Bedford  have  long  been  for  the  fitting  out,  and  the  recep- 
tion, of  the  whalers  of  the  United  States. 

Of  the  river  and  lake  fisheries  of  Anticosti,  Mr.  Corbet,  who 
leases  thorn,  as  well  as  the  right  of  hunting  the  whole  island, 
but  who  keeps  up  a  very  small  establishment,  and  consequently 
makes  use  of  his  privilege  to  a  very  slight  extent,  says:  "  I 
have  frequently,  along  with  two  Indians,  taken  in  the  month  of 
July,  in  one  day,  tAvelve  Imndred  salmon-trout,  and  upwards  of 
two  hundred  salmon,  out  of  Observation  River,  near  the  South- 
West  Point,  the  majority  of  the  salmon-trout  weighing  four 
pounds,  and  the  salmon  from  twelve  to  fifteen  pounds;"  and 
Mr.  Morrison  states,  that  the  first  day  he  went  up  to  Salmon 
River,  he  caught,  in  a  very  short  time,  with  a  small  net,  from 
two  hundred  to  three  hundred  fine  salmon;  and  that,  too,  by 
confining  his  fisliing  to  only  two  or  three  of  the  numerous  holes 
to  which  salmon  resort  in  that  river.  Even  in  winter,  Mr.  Cor- 
bet has  caught  quantities  of  fine  trout,  by  cutting  a  hole  in  the 
ice,  and  fishing  with  a  hook.  This  gentleman  owns  a  schooner, 
in  which  he  sends  the  produce  of  the  fisheries  and  of  the  chase, 
obtained  by  him,  to  the  Quebec  market,  where  it  commands  a 
high  price.  The  master  of  this  schooner  is  one  of  many  par- 
ties who  arc  desirous  of  purchasing  land,  and  settling  entirely 
upon  the  island,  with  which  he  has  been  connected  for  fifteen 
years. 

Tliough  all  the  rivers  of  Anticosti  abound  with  the  finest 
salmon,  few  of  them  are  fished  to  any  extent,  in  consequence  of 
there  being  but  a  small  number  of  persons  residing  upon  the 
island,  and  those  who  come  there  not  being  prepared,  and  not 
having  the  right  to  fish  in  the  rivers;  which,  with  sufficient  at- 
tention and  judicious  management,  might  be  made  almost  as 
valuable  as  the  best  salmon  rivers  in  i^cotland,  for  each  of 


i|'»-  ! 


1:^ 


27 


existed  upon 
llcnt  accom- 
to  400  tons 
adapted  foi> 
ivcntually  be 
to  the  great 
t  of  -wlialers, 
.ntucket  and 
tid  the  rccep- 

Corbet,  who 
sv^hole  island, 
consequently 
}nt,  says:  "  I 
the  month  of 
d  upwards  of 
ar  the  South- 
cighing  four 
ounds;"  and 
p  to  Salmon 
all  net,  from 
that,  too,  by 
imerous  holes 
iter,  Mr.  Cor- 
a  hole  in  the 
IS  a  schooner, 
of  the  chase, 
commands  a 
of  many  par- 
tling  entirely 
?d  for  fifteen 

th  the  finest 
onsequence  of 
ing  upon  the 
ired,  and  not 
I  sufficient  at- 
ide  almost  as 
.,  for  each  of 


which  a  rent  is  obtained  of  from  five  to  fifteen  thousand  pounds 
sterling  per  annum.  The  markets  for  fish  in  the  United  States, 
being  about  to  be  thrown  open  to  Canada,  under  the  Recipro- 
city Treaty,  will  soon  become  quite  as  remunerative  as  any  in 
Europe,  and  will  consequently  raise  the  value  of  our  river  fish- 
eries to  what  is  obtained  for  the  most  valuable  of  the  former. 

The  porpoise  fishery,  which  is  successfully  conducted  at  Ta- 

dousac,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Saguenay — each  porpoise  caught 

A         being  wortli  £25,  in  the  leather  and  oil  which  it  is  made  to 

'  yield — might  also  be  carried  on  at  Anticosti  at  a  considerable 

profit,  the  latter  being  as  well  situated  for  the  purpose  as  the 

former. 

The  hunting  upon  the  island  is  of  considerable  value,  though 
of  far  less  importance  than  its  fisheries.  The  animals  consist 
of  black  bears,  martens,  otters,  and  the  silver  grey,  tlie  red 
the  black,  and  sometimes  the  white  fox;  all  of  which  are  very 
numerous,  and  for  the  skins  of  which  Mr.  Corbet  realizes  ex- 
cellent prices  in  the  Quebec  market:  those  of  the  silver  grey 
and  the  l^lack  fox  fetching  from  £15  to  X20  eacli.  But  Quebec 
being  principally  a  mart  for  other  and  dearer  markets,  much 
higher  prices  would  be  obtained  for  the  Anticosti  furs,  could 
they  be  sent  to  the  latter  markets  direct;  and  this  would  be 
easily  effected,  were  the  settlements  and  establishments,  con- 
templated in  this  article,  made  upon  the  island,  which  would 
create  objects  there  of  sufficient  importance  to  attract  vessels 
from  \  arious  parts  to  its  shores.  The  bears  upon  the  island 
are  quite  harmless,  and,  living  upon  the  rich  berries  and  wild 
fruits,  such  as  currants  and  gooseberries,  which  abound  every- 
where in  the  summer  and  autumn,  are  very  good  eating  during 
those  seasons.  Deer  were  formerly  met  with,  but  have  not 
been  recently  seen  there.  Fortunately,  the  island,  like  the 
country  immediately  north  of  Quebec,  (though  they  abound 
still  further  nortli,)  is  entirely  free  from  wolves.  There  are 
mice,  but  neither  rats  nor  frogs;  nor  are  there  snakes  or  rep- 
tiles of  any  description. 

Great  quantities  of  ducks,  geese,  partridges,  and  othc  r  fowl 
resort  to  the  lakes  upon  the  island,  some  of  which  are  of  a 
species  peculiar  to  England;  and  a  duck,  called  the  muniac, 
remains  about  the  shore  all  the  winter.    It  is  probable  that 


28 


the  eider-duck,  which  frequents  the  main  shore  further  north, 
will  be  found  there;  in  which  case  eider-down  might  be  made 
a  profitable  export  from  the  island. 

Thus,  even  in  respect  to  food,  Anticosti,  in  an  uncultivated 
state,  is  not  so  inhospitable  as  it  is  generally  supposed  to  be; 
for,  with  its  fish,  its  bears'  flesh,  and  its  fowl  in  abundance, 
what  active  sportsman  is  there  who  could  not  often  obtain  a 
meal  there,  with  his  rod  or  with  his  gun? 

Witli  so  many  other  resources,  it  is  of  little  consequence 
whether  or  not  Anticosti  will  be  found  to  possess  valuable  min- 
erals. There  is  no  account  of  its  ever  haviug  been  visited  by 
a  geologist;  but  iron  ore  of  great  ricliness  and  quartz  are  fre- 
quently met  with  on  the  island,  and  recently  some  substances 
have  been  discovered  resembling  mineral  paints.  Plumbago 
may  also  exist  there,  as  it  has  been  found  among  limestone  of 
a  similar  character  to  that  of  the  island  upon  several  parts  of 
this  continent;  and  M^.  M'Ewan  mentions  having  found  free- 
stone there,  some  of  it  as  fine  as  water  of  Ayr-stone,  and  some 
as  coarse  as  grindstone.  The  fossiliferous  limestone,  which 
exists  in  great  quantities  upon  the  shores  in  thick  horizontal 
strata,  is  of  so  fine  a  grain  and  color,  and  so  hard,  that  it  is 
most  deservedly  classed  under  the  head  of  marble.  Were  this 
marble  quarried  to  any  extent,  large  profits  could  be  made  by 
disposing  of  it  to  builders  in  the  chief  towns  of  the  province, 
whose  wealthy  inhabitants  are  beginning  to  vie  with  each  othor 
in  the  beauty  of  their  residences,  and  the  style  of  their  living. 
Tq  Quebec  and  Montreal  it  could  easily  be  conveyed  as  ballast. 
Being  very  durable,  as  well  as  very  beautiful,  there  js  little 
doubt  that,  were  it  brought  to  those  cities,  in  any  quantities,  it 
would  be  selected  for  many  })ublic  buildings.  The  contem- 
plated erections  for  the  Government  and  the  Parliament  Houses 
could  not  be  made  more  imposing  in  appearance,  so  far  as  the 
material  is  considered,  than  by  the  use  of  this  marble  in  their 
construction.  It  has  already  been  used  for  several  lighthouses 
in  the  St.  Lawrence  besides  those  upon  the  island.  Both  Lieut. 
Baddeley,  R.  E.,  who  touched  at  several  parts  of  the  island  in 
1831,  and  Sir  Richard  Bonnycastle,  R.  E.,  who  londcd  at  the 
entrance  of  Jupiter  river  in  1841,  speak  of  the  value  of  this 
marble.    The  former  says,  "  its  structure  is  crystalline,  and  its 


I 


\. 


further  north, 
ight  ])e  made 

.  uncultivated 
pposcd  to  be; 
II  abundance, 
ften  obtain  a 


consoquonce 
v^ahiable  min- 
len  visited  by 
uartz  are  fre- 
le  substances 
I.    Plumbago 

limestone  of 
;^cral  parts  of 
g  found  frce- 
ine,  and  some 
3stone,  M'hich 
ck  horizontal 
xd,  that  it  is 
.  Were  this 
i  be  made  by 
the  province, 
ih  each  othor 
their  living, 
ed  as  ballast, 
lere  js  little 
quantities,  it 
The  contem- 
ment  Houses 
so  far  as  the 
rble  in  their 
1  lighthouses 

Both  Lieut, 
the  island  in 
i.ndcd  at  the 
i^alue  of  this 
lline,  and  its 


consequent  lustre  upon  fracture  is  high;  it  is  sufficiently  hard 
to  receive  a  good  polish,  and  is  sufficiently  solid  and  massive 
I  to  turn  out  some  excellent  ashlars,  so  that,  Avhethcr  it  be  de- 
sired for  the  construction  of  a  house  or  for  its  interior  embel- 
lishment, it  is  equally  applicable."  Sir  llichard  Bonnycastle 
states,  "  the  limestone  cuts  well,  and  looks  very  beautiful,  being, 
in  fact,  a  sort  of  marble;"  and  adds,  "  I  procured  some  large 
and  valuable  encrinital  remains,  yellow  blende,  and  some  iine 
white  marble,  and  have  no  doubt  that  a  rich  treat  would  be 
afforded  to  the  collector  who  had  leisure  sufficient  in  this 
vicinage."'  A  specimen  of  a  stone,  suitable  to  the  purposes  of 
lithography,  found  upon  the  island  some  yoars  ago,  was  placed 
in  the  museum  of  this  society,  and  many  specimens  of  iron  ore, 
quartz,  marljlc,  and  curious  fossils,  have  been  obtained  there 
upon  various  occasions.  Anticosti  having  been  evidently 
formed  at  the  same  period  as  the  rest  of  North  America,  and 
not  having  been. created  by  the  alluvial  deposits  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  as,  from  its  position,  some  might  siqipose,  there  is  no 
reason,  upon  its  being  explored  by  a  geologist,  why  some  of 
those  minerals  and  ores  should  not  be  found  there,  which  are 
known  to  exist  upon  this  continent.  It  is  only  very  recently 
that  coal,  silver,  and  cupper  have  been  discovered  upon  the 
western  coast  of  Newfoundland,  among  a  limestone  formation 
similar  to  that  of  Anticosti. 

Taken  separately,  the  resources  of  Anticosti,  as  they  are  yet 
known,  may  not  appear  so  important  as  those  of  countries  more 
favored  by  careful  attention,  by  settlement,  and  by  a  fair  ex- 
penditure upon  them  of  labor  and  science  combined,  under 
which  their  resources  have  been  partially  developed;  but,  viewed 
together,  they  cannot  but  be  regarded,  by  any  unprejudiced 
observer,  as  of  consideralde  value,  and  as  giving  promise, 
(upon  the  introduction  there  of  those  agencies  which  have  been 
successfully  at  Avork  elsewhere,)  of  becoming  a  source  of  wealth 
and  prosperity  to  the  whole  province.  No  comprehensive  view 
of  the  resources  and  capabilities  of  the  island  having  ever  been 
taken,  is  one  reason  why  it  has  been  so  long  neglected;  and 
why,  throughout  its  tlireo  thousand  three  hundred  square  miles 
of  territory,  it  yet  gives  shelter  to  no  more  than  some  fifteen 
or  twenty  residents,  distributed  between  the  fishing  stations  of 


'^-g 


',■■■  f 


the  Ics.-i  0,  the  lighthouses  and  the  provision  posts,  all  of  ^vhich 
are  situated  uimu  the  south  side  of  tlic  island;  the  fishing  sta- 
tions being  at  the  South-West  Point,  and  the  entrances  of  Ob- 
servation and  Becscie  Rivers,  the  lighthouses  at  the  East  Point 
and  the  South-West  Point,  and  the  provision  posts  being  also 
at  the  lighthouse  stations,  at  Shallop  Creek,  about  half  way 
between  them,  and  at  Ellis  Buy.  The  state  of  desolation  in 
which  tiie  island  remains,  is  shown  by  the  necessity  for  keeping 
up  these  provision  posts  for  shipwrecked  sailors,  as,  in  former 
days,  wells  were  dug,  shady  trees  planted,  and  caravansaries 
maintained  in  the  desert,  for  the  relief  of  pilgrims  and  travel- 
lers by  the  Arab  and  Indian  princes;  but,  unlike  the  deserts 
of  the  East,  (though  even  there  fertile  spots  have  been  often 
discovered  and  been  made  to  "  bloom  as  a  rose,")  Anticosti  has 
hitherto  been  condemned  to  desolation,  not  on  account  of  its 
being  incapable  of  being  made  to  sustain  a  population,  but  be- 
cause of  the  superficial  examinations  of  its  soil,  bordering  upon 
the  sea  shore  only,  which  have  been  made  from  time  to  time, 
and  of  the  reports  and  general  rumors,  based  upon  those  exam- 
inations, similar  to  those  unjust  popular  rumors  which  have  for 
many  years  kept  back  many  other  countries,  since  become 
known  and  now  arrived  at  a  flourisliing  condition,  and  which, 
Uiitil  the  last  few  years,  condemned  Newfoundland  to  be  a  mere 
fishing  stcition.  Even  Prince  Edward's  Island,  now  the  garden 
of  our  maritime  provinces,  was  for  a  long  period  kept  back  by 
prejudices  as  absurd  and  unjust  as  those  Avhich  long  operated 
against  the  progress  of  Nova  Scotia  and  Newfoundland,  and 
which,  up  to  the  present  time,  have  rendered  Anticosti  worse 
than  useless;  a  terror  to  the  mariner,  and  an  inhospitable  wil- 
derness at  the  threshhold  of  the  i)rovince,  frowing  upon,  and 
depressing  in  spirit,  all  who  seek  Canada  by  the  route  of  the 
St.  Lawrence.*  • 

*  As  there  are  few  persona  in  England,  or  even  in  Canada,  who  do  not  still 
regard  Newfoundland  as  possessing  no  resources  beyond  its  fisheries,  and 
who  look  upon  Nova  Scotia  almost  iu  the  same  light,  the  following  extract  is 
inserted  here  from  the  speech  of  Mr.  Morrison,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Agri- 
cultural Society,  held  at  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland,  in  184^2,  and  presided 
over  by  Sir  John  Harvey,  as  bearing  upon  the  past  condition  and  the  recent 
progress  of  those  countries,  and  upon  the  present  state  and  what  may  be  the 
future  progress  of  Anticosti :  ' '  Travels,  voyages,  histories,  geographies,  even 


i  ■)> 


31 


all  of  Avhicli 
fishing"  sta- 
nces of  Ob- 
East  Point 
s  being  also 
it  half  way 
csolation  in 
for  keeping 
B,  in  former 
iravansarics 
and  travel- 
tlic  deserts 
been  often 
.nticosti  has 
30unt  of  its 
;ion,  but  be- 
dering  upon 
me  to  time, 
those  exam- 
ich  have  for 
nee  become 
and  which, 
to  be  a  mero 
'■  the  garden 
ept  back  by 
ng  operated 
ndland,  and 
icosti  worse 
ipitable  wil- 
^  upon,  and 
route  of  the 


ho  do  not  still 
I  fisheries,  and 
wing  extract  is 
ig  of  the  Agri- 
aud  presided 
and  the  recent 
Liat  may  be  the 
graphics,  even 


Should  properly  conducted  and  sufficiently  extended  explo- 
rations be  made  at  Anticosti,  and  commensurate  exertions  bo 
expended  upon  it,  results  will  be  produced  there,  similar  to 
those  which  have  followed  proper  inquiry  into  and  proper 
efforts  for  developing  the  resources  of  Nova  Scotia  and  New- 
foundland; a  fair  proportion  of  good  as  well  as  bad  land  will 
be  discovered;  the  former  will  be  made  to  yield  every  descrip- 
tion of  grain  and  vegetables  which  can  bo  successfully  grown 
in  those  countries,  and  to  raise  any  number  of  cattle  and  slieep; 
while  the  entire  island  will  be  made  to  export,  in  addition  to 
furs  and  fish,  oil,  tallow,  tar,  potash,  dairy  produce,  and  the 
finest  ice  from  its  lakes  and  rivers,  and  to  support  a  large  and 
a  thriving  population  of  fishermen,  mechanics,  traders  and  agri- 
culturalists. But  what  the  writer  conceives  to  give  more  value 
to  xVnticosti,  than  its  capabilities  of  soil  and  climate,  or  its 

school  books,  in  which  the  name  of  Newfoundland  is  introduced,  represent 
the  soil  so  barren,  the  climate  so  severe,  as  if  nature  had  raised  an  impassa- 
ble barrier  to  its  agricultural  improvement.  Little  more  than  twentj'-five 
years  ago  the  same  prejudice  that  had  been  the  bane  of  Newfoundland  pre- 
vailed in  Nova  Scotia.  The  possibility  of  raising  wheat,  barley,  and  other 
gTain  for  the  subsistence  of  the  inhabitants,  was  ridiculed  and  scouted  aa 
chimerical.  Fortunately  there  was  one  among  them  of  experience  in  the  im- 
proved system  of  Scottish  agricultiire,  who  roused  the  people  by  his  appeals, 
led  them  to  form  agricultural  societies,  iinder  the  operations  of  which  the 
insane  prejudice  that  had  so  long  existed  against  the  soil  and  climate  of  Nova 
Scotia  became  dispelled;  and  in  the  history  of  no  country  has  there  ever 
been  recorded  a  more  radical  and  instantaneous  change  than  has  been  wit- 
nessed in  that  country.  So  in  Newfoundland,  by  following  the  example  of 
Nova  Scotia,  lands  have  already  been  cleared  and  cultivated  in  many  parts, 
north  and  south;  a  great  portion  of  the  sxibsistence  of  the  inhabitants  is  now 
raised  from  the  soil,  and  at  a  moderate  calculation  made  from  the  statistical 
returns  in  the  last  census,  the  agricultural  produce  of  the  island  is  little  short 
of  two  himdred  thousand  pounds  per  annum.  Some  of  the  farms,  at  St.  Ma- 
ry's and  riacentia  ]lays,  have  thirty,  forty  and  fifty  head  of  horned  cattle." 
Besides  many  other  authorities  to  the  same  effect,  Sir  Kichard  Bonnycastle 
may  be  quoted,  who,  in  his  work  upon  Newfoundland,  says:  "Wheat  is 
growing  within  a  mile  of  the  house  I  am  writing  in.  It  was  sown  in  the  fall 
of  the  year,  and  in  this  month  of  April  has  survived  all  the  severe  alterations 
of  the  winter.  The  i>oorest  soil  of  Newfoundland  is  around  St.  Johns,  yet 
wheat  grows  there.  On  the  western  side  of  Newfoundland,"  [opposite  to 
Anticosti],  "the  climate  is  less  severe;  the  land  more  rich  in  consequence  of 
limestone  prevailing,  and  is  now  known  to  be  quite  as  capable  of  cultivation 
as  Cape  Breton,  Prince  Edward's  Island,  and  Nova  Scotia.  Even  the  East 
coast  might  be  made  to  support  its  own  population." 


82 

many  other  regources,  wliether  belonging  to  flic  sea,  to  tlie 
rivers,  or  to  the  land,  is  its  position  at  the  entrance  of  tlie  St. 
Lawrence,  in  the  direct  and  only  channel  of  an  immense  traffic, 
which,  within  a  very  short  period,  is  certain  to  become  vastly 
increased,  not  only  by  the  throwing  open  to  the  Americans,  of 
the  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  nnder  the  reciprocity 
treaty,  recently  concluded,  but  also  by  the  extension  of  the 
trade  of  the  province  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  Whetlier 
viewed  witli  regard  to  this  future  trade,  or  to  the  existing 
maritime  trade  of  the  province,  which  is  confined  to  England, 
the  United  States,  the  Lower  Provinces  and  the  West  Indies; 
to  tlie  establishment  of  an  entrepot  in  the  direct  channel  of  that 
trade,  and  of  a  coaling  station  lor  the  three  lines  of  steamships 
about  to  run  between  England  and  Quebec;  or  viewed  as 
affording  the  most  favorable  points  for  establishing  fishing 
stations,  and  of  ^settlements  and  villages  for  supplying  the 
fishermen  belonging  to  the  island,  as  well  as  those  who  will  be 
attracted  to  its  coast  fisheries  from  a  distance,  and  who  will  bo 
desirous  to  rent  certain  portions  of  the  shore  for  the  purpose 
of  drying  their  fish  there;  the  position  of  Anticosti,  is  a  most 
admirable  one,  and  if  the  island  were  composed  of  nothing  but 
rock,  without  soil  sufficient  to  produce  a  blade  of  grass,  its 
position  alone  would  render  it  capable  of  being  made  of  more 
value  than  the  most  favored  island  in  point  of  soil  and  climate 
not  possessing  the  advantages  of  that  position.  In  regard, 
either  to  an  entrepot,  or  a  depot  for  coals,  Ellis  Bay  offers  a 
most  convenient  site  for  every  vessel,  whether  taking  the  north 
or  the  south  channel  at  the  entrance  of  the  river;  and  having  a 
depth  of  21  feet  at  low  water  in  its  most  sheltered  part,  (secure 
in  all  winds,)  and  having  no  bar,  the  fine  steamers  employed  in 
running  between  England  and  Quebec,  which  only  draw  from 
13  to  n  feet  water,  could  enter  and  lay  there  at  all  times. 
Depots  for  coals  might  also  be  established  at  the  South- West 
Point,  where  there  is  a  depth  of  -1  and  5  fathoms  of  water  close 
to  the  shore;  and  at  Bear  Bay  on  the  north-east  side  of  the 
island,  which  is  an  excellent  roadstead,  with  good  anchorage. 
The  latter  points  are  nearly  five  hundred  miles  nearer  to  Eng- 
land than  Quebec  is;  Avhich  is  about  the  distance  steamers  have 
to  make  when  getting  short  of  coals  upon  the  voyage  from 


1^ 


sea,  to  tlie 
3  of  tlie  St. 
msc  traffic, 
onic  vastly 
Orleans,  of 
reciprocity 
ion  of  tliG 
Wlietlier 
10  existing 
►  England, 
est  Indies; 
nel  of  that 
steamships 
vie\ved  as 
n^  fishing 
plying  the 
ho  will  bo 
lio  will  bo 
16  purpose 

is  a  most 
othing  ]jut 
'  gras.s,  its 
:e  of  more 
id  climate 
In  regard, 
ay  offers  a 
:  the  north 
:1  having  a 
irt,  (secure 
nployed  in 
draw  from 

all  times, 
on  til- West 
rater  close 
-ide  of  the 
mchorage. 
■er  to  Eng- 
imers  have 
rage  from 


Europe;  and  several  instances  liave  already  occurred  of  their 
having  to  run  a  considerable  distance  out  of  their  way  to  pro- 
cure coals  at  a  cost  of  two  or  three  days'  delay,  when,  could 
they  have  obtained  them  at  Anticosti,  they  need  not  have  lost 
more  than  a  few  hours.  Fur  these  depots,  coals  could  be  easily 
brought  from  Pictou  and  Cape  Breton,  or  be  purchased  from 
ships  carrying  them  from  England  as  part  of  their  cargoes  to 
Quebec.  Thus  the  furnishing  coal  for  the  steamers  touching 
at  Anticosti  would,  of  itself,  create  a  considerable  traffic  with 
the  island.  These  steamers  could  also  take  some  of  the  prod- 
uce of  the  fisheries,  «&e.,  obtained  there. 

By  establishing  an  entrepot  on  the  island,  for  the  purpose  of 
carrying  on  some  of  the  traffic  between  Canada  and  Euroi)e  in 
the  early  spring,  when  for  several  weeks  an  intercourse  between 
it  and  Quebec  could  be  frequently  kept  up  in  small  vessels, 
before  shi^is  from  sea  can  traverse  the  same  space,  and  later  in 
the  autumn,  after  every  ship  from  the  latter  has  left  lor  Europe, 
six  weeks  or  two  months  would  be  virtually  added  to  the 
period  of  open  navigation  at  Quebec.  While  such  an  inter- 
course by  colonial  schooners  or  small  steamers,  (for  which  there 
is  shelter  almost  evervwhere.)  could  be  maintained  at  those 
seascxis,  ships  from  sea  could  arrive  earlier  at,  and  depart  later 
from  Anticosti,  than  they  can  arrive  at  or  depart  from  Quebec, 
and  those  ships  that  might  clioose  to  discharge  and  obtain  their 
cargoes  at  other  periods  at  Anticosti,  could  easily  make  three 
voyages  instead  of  two.  By  doing  so,  they  would  avoid  the 
worst  part  of  the  present  voyage,  (from  Cape  Rosier  to  Quebec,) 
Avould  secure  six  weeks  or  two  months  more  of  open  naviga- 
tion, and,  in  the  tlireo  voyages,  would  save  two  thousand  five 
hundred  miles.  Vessels  also,  which,  coming  out  late  in  the 
autumn,  are  sometimes  obliged,  after  reaching  the  gulf,  to  run 
back  to  ports  in  the  Lower  Provinces,  and  winter  there,  hav- 
ing to  continue  their  voyage  on  to  Quebec  in  the  spring,  would 
avoid  the  loss  of  about  six  months,  by  being  able  to  unload  and 
obtain  a  cargo  at  Anticosti.  Although  the  Baltic  can  be  navi- 
gated by  the  largest  ships,  yet  the  trade  of  that  sea  is  generally 
carried  on  by  small  vessels,  in  consequence  of  the  dangers 
which  exist  there  to  the  former;  and,  so  in  the  gulf  and  river 
St.  Lawrence,  there  are  an  imncnse  number  of  small  craft 


84 


employed  in  all  parts,  and  at  the  earliest  and  latest  periods, 
among  which  "\ve  seldom  hear  of  a  wreck  occurring,  ^hile,  year 
after  year,  numerous  Quebec  traders,  (of  from  oUO  to  2,000 
tons  burden,)  are  cast  ashore  in  the  river  this  side  of  Anticosti, 
before  reaching  it,  or  after  having  passed  it  in  safety,  and  an 
immense  amount  of  property  is  destroyed.  The  comparative 
immunity  from  disaster  of  the  former  is  to  be  attributed  to  the 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  navigation  of  tlie  gulf  and  river 
possessed  by  masters  of  colonial  vessels,  constantly  employed 
in  the  same  waters,  in  addition  to  their  vessels  being  adapted 
for  taking  shelter  in  the  numerous  rivers  and  creeks,  which 
exist  along  the  coasts  both  of  the  river  and  gulf,  where,  for 
long  distances,  large  vessels  can  obtain  no  safe  anchorage. 
Only  last  summer  a  Liverpool  vessel  for  Quebec  was  driven 
from  her  anchors  at  Bic,  which  is  considered  to  be  about  the 
best  anchorage  in  the  river,  and  was  stranded  upon  Rimouski. 
It  cannot,  therefore,  but  be  allowed,  that  it  might  be  advan- 
tageou,^  to  employ,  to  some  extent,  small  colonial  craft  within 
the  river  for  such  commodities  as  tliey  could  conveniently 
carry,  ilmong  the  exports  from  the  Province,  they  could  easily 
take  deals  and  boards,  staves,  pot  and  peart  ashes,  flour  and 
grain  of  all  descriptions,  pork,  lish  and  furs,  &c.,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  machinery  and  railroad  iron,  all  articles  of  import 
landed  at  Anticosti  could  be  as  easily  brought  by  them  to 
Quebec.  This  would  partly  upset  the  present  system,  and 
perhaps  bo  unpopular  with  the  merchants  of  Quebec;  but  many 
ship-owners  and  ship-masters,  with  several  of  whom  tlie  writer 
has  conversed  upon  the  subject,  would  be  higlily  in  favor  of  it, 
and  would  never  send  a  ship  to  Quebec  whenever  she  could 
obtain  a  cargo  at  Anticosti.  And  if  underwriters  and  ship- 
pers, here  and  in  England,  could  be  shown  that  goods  con- 
veyed in  this  manner  would  not  be  liable  to  one-tenth  tlie 
risks  to  which  they  are  now  exposed;  that  not  one-tenth  of  the 
present  number  of  wrecks  would  occur,  and  tliat,  at  a  moderate 
cost,  harbors  fit  for  the  largest  trade  could  be  made  at  Ellis 
Bay  and  the  South-West  Point,  they  also  would  gladly  lend 
their  aid  to  carry  out  such  an  arrangement.  As  for  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  island,  they,  no  doubt,  would  most  readily  give 
their  assistance  to  that  vvhich  would  make  their  property  worth 


u 


est  periods, 
,  A\liilo,  year 
DO  to  2,000 
)f  Anticosti, 
ctv,  and  an 
loniparative 
)utcd  to  the 

and  river 
y  employed 
iig  adapted 
leks,  -which 

whore,  for 
anchorage, 
was  driven 
)  about  the 

Rimouski. 
i  be  advan- 
raft  within 
Dnveniently 
lould  easily 
5,  flour  and 
id,  with  the 
;s  of  import 
by  them  to 
system,  and 
!;  but  many 
i  tlK)  writer 
favor  of  it, 
•  she  could 
s  and  ship- 
goods  con- 
ic-tenth the 
;enth  of  the 
a  moderate 
de  at  Ellis 
gladly  lend 
or  the  pro- 
-eadily  give 
perty  worth 


in  the  market  twenty  times  its  present  value  there.  Thus  by 
combining  the  interests  and  the  means  of  many,  (who,  as  yet, 
have  no  knowledge  that  their  interests  may  benmde  identical,) 
towards'establisliing  .such  a  system  of  commercial  intercourse 
as  that  whieh  l:is  been  pointed  out,  the  undertaking  might  be 
accomidished,  notwithstanding  any  difficulties  which  other 
parties  might  oppose  to  it.  It  would  not  depend  upon  Avhethcr 
the  latter  would  favor  it  or  not,  but  whether  those,  having  an 
interest  in  carrying  it  out,  could,  by  organization,  by  economy 
of  management,  and  by  steadiness  of  purpose,  place  and  main- 
tain a  sufficient  quantity  of  well  selected  articles  upon  the  island, 
and  be  al)lc  to  dispose  of  them  at  about  the  same  rate  as  that  at 
which  they  Avould  be  sold  in  the  markets  to  which  they  might 
properly  belong.  For  the  intercolonial  trade  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence, the  island  might  be  made  a  convenient  cenire,  from 
whence  the  whole  of  it  could  be  easily  carried  on. 

Besides  the  main  trade  of  the  province,  conducted  from 
Quebec,  the  trade  of  the  flourishing  settlements  up  the  Saguenay 
towards  Lake  St.  John,  which  arc  rapidly  extending,  may  be 
made  to  contribute  to  the  importance  of  Anticosti;  the  whole 
of  those  settlements  being  then  supplied  by  the  latter,  as  well 
as  many  of  the  extensive  and  populous  set+lements  along  the 
main  shores  of  the  lower  St.  Lawrence,  xit  a  future  period  a 
further  trade  by  the  Saguenay  may  be  looked  for,  coming 
across  from  the  St.  Maurice,  from  the  Upper  Ottawa  and  from 
Lake  Huron,  through  a  magnificent  country,  which  will  rapidly 
become  occupied,  whose  commerce  will  seek  the  nearest  outlet 
to  Europe;  and,  whenever  a  railroad  shall  be  constructed,  to 
connect  the  Saguenay  with  Lake  Huron,  much  of  the  trade  of 
the  '•  Far  West "  will  come  the  same  route.  Ultimately  such 
a  road  will  become  a  branch  of  the  great  railway  which  is  at 
no  distant  period  to  cross  this  continent  to  the  Pacific.  Instead 
of  assisting  to  divert  the  trade  of  Canada  to  channels  passing 
througli  the  United  States,  by  which  we  lose  the  value  of  one. 
half  the  traffic  before  it  reaches  the  ocean,  and  our  ships  lose 
the  whole  of  the  freight  to  Europe,  it  would  be  much  more 
beneficial  to  the  province,  if  our  leading  merchants  would  en- 
courage the  use  of  routes  passing  through  our  own  territory  to 
the  Atlantic. 


36 


Anticosti  may  filao  grow  into  importance  as  an  emporium  for 
a  portion  of  that  commerce  which  Canada  is  now  in  a  ])Osition  to 
open  out  with  all  parts  of  the  world;  for,  to  large  vesj-els  coming 
long  voyages  from  the  East  Indies,  China,  &c.,  it  would  be  of 
some  consequence  to  avoid  the  delay  and  the  dangers  of 
coming  up  the  St.  Lawrence.  Tlic  island  may  then  almost 
become  such  a  mart  as  the  ancient  Taprobana,  (the  Ceylon  of 
the  present  day,)  was  in  regard  to  the  trade  between  China, 
India,  the  Persian  Gulf,  Arabia  and  Africa,  when  "  she  received 
and  dismissed  the  fleets  of  the  East  and  of  the  West;"  her 
position  alone  enabling  her  to  extract  more  wealth  from  that 
trade  than  was  derived  from  it  by  the  countries  to  which  it 
properly  belonged. 

Since  the  foregoing  was  written,  the  writer  has  visited  the 
island  which  he  has  endeavored  to  represent  as  it  appeared  to 
him,  after  an  examination  and  a  comparison  of  every  authority 
bearing  upon  it,  and  an  inquiry  into  its  present  condition,  of 
nearly  every  person  now  residing,  or  who  has  lately  resided 
there.  He  will  now,  therefore,  add  the  result  of  his  own  obser- 
vations, made  upon  the  spot. 

Having  taken  passage  at  Quebec  about  the  middle  of  July  in 
the  steamer  "  Wilmington,"  which  was  sent  to  Anticosti  with 
the  object  of  assisting  a  ship,  wrecked  last  November  about 
twelve  miles  from  Ellis  Bay,  (which  had  remained  there  ever 
since,  almost  uninjured  by  the  ice  or  storms  of  an  unusually 
severe  winter,)  he  visited  that  Bay  as  well  as  the  South-West 
Poi'^<"  three  times,  and  was  upon  the  south  side  of  the  island  for 
about  three  weeks.  He  also  twice  visited  Gaspe  Basin.  At 
Ellis  Bay  the  steamer  ran  in  for  shelter  upon  each  occasion, 
and  upon  the  last  remained  there  for  three  days.  She  anchored 
about  two  miles  up  the  harbor  in  3^  fathoms  at  low  water, 
about  a  mile  distant  from  the  shore  upon  either  side,  and  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  head  of  the  bay,  which  appeared  to  be, 
from  point  to  point,  (Cape  Henry  to  Cape  Eagle,)  from  eight 
to  nine  miles  roimd.  Upon  looking  out  from  this  position 
towards  the  sea,  every  appearance  of  the  most  complete  security 
was  presented,  the  limestone  reefs  from  the  two  points  stretching 
out  south-east  and  south-west  towards  each  other,  the  one  a 


\\ 


lorium  for 
])Osition  to 
els  coming 
ould  be  of 
angers  of 
en  almost 

Ceylon  of 
2cn  China, 
ic  received 
Vest;"  her 

from  that 
0  which  it 


visited  the 
ppearod  to 
'  authority 
ndition,  of 
;ly  resided 
3wn  obser- 

I  of  July  in 
icosti  with 
iber  about 
there  ever 
.  unusually 
outh-West 
3  island  for 
3asin.  At 
I  occasion, 
B  anchored 
low  Avatcr, 
side,  and  a 
ared  to  be, 
from  eight 
is  po?;ition 
te  security 
stretching 
,  the  one  a 


I 


mile,  the  other  throe  quarters  of  a  mile  in  length,  and  forming 
complete  hrciikwator-',  quite  uncovered  at  low  water,  and 
which,  being  covered  to  only  a  very  slight  depth  at  any  time, 
stop  the  force  of  the  sea  even  at  high  water,  as  was  indicated 
by  the  surf  which  they  then  caused,  as  the  waves  broke  upon 
Ihem,  and  which  clearly  directs  ships  to  the  channel  between 
them,  of  six  hundred  fathoms  wide.  This  channel,  too,  is  much 
protected  by  the  water  shoaling  immediately  outside  to  six 
fathoms,  which,  although  deep  enough  to  admit  the  largest 
vessels,  tends  to  break  the  force  of  the  sea.  This  was  expe- 
rienced upon  one  occasion,  when,  in  a  heavy  southerly  gale, 
the  steamer  ran  in  from  a  tremendous  sea  outside,  in  which  she 
pitched  nearly  bowsi)rit  under,  and  anchored  in  water  almost 
as  smooth  as  a  mill  pond.  To  all  on  board  the  almost  sudden 
cessation  of  violent  motion  appeared  as  extraordinary  as  it 
proved  agreealjle.  The  same  afternoon  a  large  American 
schooner  ran  into  the  bay  for  shelter,  and  anchored  nearly  a 
mile  outside  the  Wilmington  in  perfect  safety,  where  she  re- 
mained till  the  gale  abated  the  following  morning.  During 
the  several  periods  the  steamer  lay  in  this  harbor,  heavy  winds 
were  experienced  from  every  quarter,  yet  she  rode  through  all 
as  calmly  as  if  she  had  been  moored  in  front  of  Quebec;  and  in 
the  spot  where  she  was  ancliored,  nothing  less  than  such  a  hur- 
ricane as  would  cast  vessels  adrift  and  sink  them,  either  in  the 
harbor  of  Quebec,  or  in  the  Liverpool  docks,  could  effect  a 
vessel  there.  Mr.  Gamachc,  who  has  resided  for  twenty-five 
years  at  the  provision  post  at  this  bay,  informed  the  writer 
that  the  harbor  was  perfectly  secure  in  all  winds,  and  at  all 
periods,  that,  besides  other  vessels,  the  "  Sir  Richard  Jackson," 
of  about  600  tons  burthen,  had  twice  lain  there  for  several 
months  each  time,  and  that  her  Captain  had  said  it  was  as  safe 
a  harbor  as  any  he  had  ever  entered.  Mr.  Gamache  has, 
himself,  built  two  vessels  there  of  a  considerable  si^.e.  A  gen- 
tleman on  board  the  Wilmington,  a  member  of  Lloyds,  who 
bad  come  out  from  England,  and  had  chartered  the  steamer  to 
proceed  to  the  wreck  at  the  island,  and  who  had  been  three 
times  round  the  world  as  Captain  of  an  East  India  Company's 
ship,  declared  that  he  considered  the  harbor  "  a  most  excellent 
one  j'"'  so  much  so,  that  he  should  on  his  return  to  England  make 


^1 


m 


it  specially  known  at  Lloyds.  But,  as  some  persons,  who  liavc 
never  Lcen  in  Ellis  Bay,  or  have  not  been  there  when  there 
were  heavy  seas  outside,  imagine  that  it  must  be  exposed  to 
southerly  winds,  the  following  extract  is  given  from  the  log  of 
the  Wilmington,  which  should  convince  them  of  their  conclusion 
in  this  respect  being  an  erroneous  one:  "  Monday,  2d  August, 
1854.  It  looking  very  Avild  and  bleak  to  south-west,  with 
heavy  rain  and  quick  flashing  lightning  and  thunder,  proceeded 
direct  to  Ellis  Bay.  It  then  blowing  strong  from  south-south- 
east with  rain  and  sea  rolling  in  with  a  thick  fog,  kept  the 
lead  going,  and  went  along  the  coast  in  sight  of  breakers, 
seeing  them  when  we  could  not  see  the  land.  Made  out  Cape 
Eagle  by  9  A.M.,  rounded  its  armed,  (protecting,)  reef,  sounded 
up  the  bay,  and  came  to  with  both  anchors  by  9.40  A.  M. — 
3  P.  M.,  wind  south,  blowing  strong  and  about  right  up  the 
bay.  We  ride  smoothly  and  safe.  Coming  in  between  the 
reefs  there  is  a  swell,  which  might  make  a  stranger  fear  the 
safety  of  his  ship,  but  as  you  run  up  the  bay,  it  becomes  less, 
and  at  anchorage  smooth  riding  and  good  holding  ground." 
This,  and  the  fact  of  a  sailing  vessel  having  run  in  for  shelter 
the  same  afternoon,  when  the  wind  had  increased  in  violence, 
not  only  show  the  safety  of  the  harbor  during  the  worst  winds 
(and  as  the  steamer  made  for  it  upon  tliis  occasion,  Captain 
Rudolph  and  his  officers  exclaimed  that  its  security  would  be 
well  tested  in  such  weather,)  but  they  also  prove  how  easy  it  is 
of  access  under  the  worst  circumstances:  a  strong  southerly 
wind  blowing  directly  in,  a  heavy  sea  outside,  and  a  thick  fog. 
Though,  the  latter  apparently  continued  out  at  sea,  when  once 
in  the  bay,  there  was  only  a  slight  haze  perceived.  The  thickest 
fog,  however,  encountered  during  the  cruise,  was  in  coming  up 
the  river,  from  Metis  to  Green  Island.  At  Anticosti,  although 
there  were  occasional  fogs,  it  was  often  clear  enough  to  see 
across  to  the  south  shore,  a  distance  of  forty  miles.  Much 
might  be  added  here,  in  favor  of  Ellis  Bay,  as  a  harbor,  but  the 
fact  of  such  vessels  as  the  "  Sir  Richard  Jackson  "  having  been 
repeatedly  there  in  all  weathers,  without  any  of  them  having 
been  cast  ashore,  or  having  dragged  their  anchors,  should  be 
sufficient.  No  instance  has  ever  occurred  of  a  craft  of  any 
description  having  dragged  her  anchors,  or  been  injured  there 


l\. 


m 


who  liaTC 
hen  there 
xposed  to 
the  log  of 
lopclusion 
1  August, 
-est,  with 
proceeded 
uth-south- 
,  kept  the 
breakers, 
out  Cape 
',  sounded 
}  A.  M.— 
^ht  up  the 
iween  the 
r  fear  the 
omcs  less, 

ground." 
or  shelter 

violence, 
rst  windSj 
1,  Captain 

would  be 
'  easy  it  is 
southerly 
thick  fog. 
rhen  once 
e  thickest 
loming  up 
,  although 
igh  to  see 
IS.  Much 
»r,  but  the 
ving  been 
im  having 
should  be 
ift  of  any 
;rcd  there 


in  anyway;  and  Captain  Rudolph  stated  that  the  Wilmington 
Avould  have  ridden  just  as  safely  with  a  single  anchor  as  with 
two.  As  the  underwriter  on  board,  belonging  to  Lloyds, 
remarked,  there  are  many  places  in  England,  and  other  coun- 
tries, carrying  on  a  large  maritime  commerce,  which  have  not 
so  spacious,  so  deep,  or  so  safe  a  harbor  as  Ellis  Bay. 

The  appearance  of  the  shores  of  this  bay  has  been  already 
pretty  accurately  described.  They  are  generally  thickly 
wooded  with  spruce  trees,  of  a  better  growth  than  those  near 
the  sea  upon  other  parts  of  the  island,  and  on  the  higher  ground 
in  the  distance,  a  good  many  hard  Avood  trees  were  seen  of  a 
still  larger  size.  A  conspicuous  and  picturesque  clump  of  birch 
trees  stood  out  from  the  spruce  close  to  the  shore,  one  of  wliicli 
the  waiter  measured  live  feet  from  the  ground,  where  he  found 
it  to  be  five  feet  in  circumference,  its  height  appearing  to  tlie 
eye  to  be  almost  sixty  feet.  The  five  substantial  buildings  of 
the  resident  are  very  prettily  placed  near  one  of  the  three  or 
four  fine  trout  streams,  which  flow  into  the  bay,  where  he  has 
several  acres  cleared  and  divided  by  excellent  fences,  and 
where  he  had  growing,  and  looking  remarkably  healthy,  every 
description  of  vegetables,  and  some  fine  timothy  grass.  The 
potatoes  there  were  looking  more  advanced  than  they  were  at 
Quebec,  Avhen  the  steamer  left  the  latter  place  a  few  days  pre- 
viously. The  soil,  though  not  very  deep,  appeared  to  bo  very 
good,  consisting  of  a  dark  loam,  with  sand  and  gravel  below; 
and  there  is  little  doubt  that  it  could  easily  be  made  to  produce 
some  of  the  hardier  grains;  to  ripen  which,  or  even  wheati 
there  must  be  quite  sufficient  heat,  the  thermometer  upon  one 
or  two  occasions  during  the  Wilmington's  stay  there  being  as 
high  as  SP  in  the  shade,  and  lOS*^  in  the  sun,  and  at  no  time 
going  lower  than  between  50°  and  GO*-^  during  the  three  weeks 
the  steamer  continued  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  island.  Round 
the  bay  many  beautiful  Avild  flowers  were  seen;  also  the  sarsa- 
parilla  i»lant  and  the  sweet  pea;  and  on  the  beach,  the  Avriter 
picked  up  a  piece  of  sponge,  which  had  been  detached  from 
the  bottom  by  the  action  of  the  sea.  The  salmon-trout  in  the 
river,  near  the  resident's  house,  were  so  numerous  that  they 
might  almost  have  been  caught  by  the  hand  as  they  moved  in 
shoals  from   one  part  to   another,  i.pon   being  disturbed  by 


pr^ 


40 


the  sailors,  who  attempted  to  take  them  with  buckets.     Quan- 
tities were  obtained  and  found   to  bo  delicious  eating.    A 
number  of  very  fine  salmon  were  also  purchased  of  the  resi- 
dent, whose  assistant  happened  to  enter  the  bay  with  fifty  ho 
had  just  caught  in  the  Beescie  River,  in  the  course  of  about 
an  hour;  and  several  large  lobsters  were  taken  in  the  bay,  and 
sent  on  board.     But  what  appeared  of  extraordinary  interest 
to  those  in  the  steamer,  was  the  sight  every  day,  when  the  tide 
was  out,  of  some  three  or  four  hundred  seals  sleeping  or  playing 
round  the  bay,  generally  entirely  out  of,  l)ut  near  the  water, 
and  some  of  them  occasionally  swimming  close  to  the  vessel, 
whose  round  heads  looked  very  much  like  those  of  a  human 
being.     One  of  them,  th^i  resident  mentioned,  he  had  killed,  a 
short  time  previously,  upon  the  step  of  his  door.    The  bay 
must  therefore  be  a  favorite  resort  of  theirs.     A  great  many 
whales,  at  least  fifty,  wore  also  seen  between  the  island  and 
Gasp6,  and  several  between  the  former  and  Bic,  each  of  which 
must  have  been  worth  from  £200  to  £400;  yet  only  one  vessel 
was  met  with,  or  heard  of,  in  pursuit  of  them:  a  large  schooner 
from  Gaspt'.    Both  the  whale  and  seal  fisheries  could  be  car- 
ried on  much  more  conveniently  from  Ellis  Bay  than  from  the 
former  or  from  any  other  place  within  the  gulf.     With  this  shel- 
tered spot  everybody  on  board  the  steamer  was  much  pleased: 
from  the  excellency  of  its  harbor,  the  inviting  appearance  of  the 
country  around  it,  and  the  objects  of  interest  which  were  met 
there;  and  even  the  sailors  expressed  a  desire  to  take  up  their 
abode  upon  its  shores.     One  sailor,  who  had  belongec^   to  a 
vessel  wrecked  upon  the  island  last  November,  and  who  had 
wintered  there,  became  so  charmed  with  the  place,  that  he  had 
already  become  a  permanent  resident,  employing  himself  in 
fishing  and  hunting;  and  the  captain  and  the  whole  crew  of  <i 
ship,  that  went  ashore  in  a  fog  about  eight  miles  from  Ellis 
Bay,  when  the  steamer  was  in  the  harltor,  informed  the  writer 
that  if  they  could  obtain  land  there  they  would  send  to  Hull, 
whence  they  had  sailed,  for  their  families,  and  settle  on  the 
island  in  a  body. 

A'-  bb  .^M-nh-west  Point,  where  the  steamer  could  have  run 
clos  ;(p  to  the  shore,  and  been  moored  to  the  flat  limestone 
rocl-.s,     '  '^  form  complete  natural  wharves,  the  five  or  six 


I 


I 


«'x 


3.    Quan- 
iting.     A 

the  resi- 
h  fifty  he 
(  of  about 
)  bay,  and 
y  interest 
a  the  tide 
ir  playing 
he  water, 
;he  vessel, 
'  a  human 
I  killed,  a 

The  bay 
•cat  many 
"land  and 

of  which 
one  vebsel 
3  schooner 
Id  be  car- 
1  from  the 
li  this  shel- 
h  pleased: 
mce  of  tlie 
I  were  met 
[e  up  their 
ngc(i  to  a 
i  who  had 
lat  he  had 
himself  in 

crew  of  a 
from  Ellis 
the  writer 
d  to  Hull, 
;tlo  on  the 

1  have  run 
;  limestone 
five  or  six 


buildings,  including  a  very  large  stage  and  store-house  for  fish, 
were  so  disposed  near  the  magnificent  lighthouse,  which  towers 
above  all,  as  to  present  quite  the  appearance  of  a  villiage. 
Upon  landing,  this  appearance  was  rather  heightened  than 
diminished,  as  a  number  of  fine  fields,  neatly  divided  by  straight 
fences,  in  which  were  growing  very  luxuriantly  many  vegetables 
and  grasses,  came  in  view,  and  a  horse  and  four  fine  coavs,  all 
in  excellent  condition,  were  seen  feeding  upon  a  common  close 
by.    Added  to  these  indications  of  civilized  life,  were  a  number 
of  fowls  in  all  directions  among  the  houses,  and  several  fat 
pigs  venturing  further  back  to  rob  the  bears  of  the  rich  lierries 
and  wild  fruits  which  al)Ounded  there.  Near  to  the  landing  place 
two  persons  were  employed  in  cutting  up  a  huge  shark,  which 
had  just  been  caught,  having,  no  doubt,  been  enticed  out  of  his 
usual  latitude  by  the  shoals  of  fish  which  proceed  from  the 
Atlantic  towards  the  island.    The  same  day  immense  quantities 
of  mackerel  were  seen  close  under  the  point  upon  which  the 
lighthouse  stands.    By  their  praiseworthy  exertions,  Mr.  Pope 
and  his  son  have  shown  what  may  be  accomplished  by  well  di- 
rected industry  in  places  apparently  the  most  unpromising;  for 
this  spot  must  be  about  the  bleakest  upon  the  whole  island, 
being  completely  exposed  to  the  north-west  winds.     Last  year 
they  grew  most  excellent  oats,  and  next  year  they  purpose  to 
grow  both  oats  and  barley,  seed  for  the  latter  of  which  the 
writer  has  just  sent  to  them.     Some  of  their  potatoes  of  last 
year,  of  the  few  they  had  remaining,  which  the  writer  brought 
to  Quebec,  weighed  three  to  the  pound,  and  some  of  this  year's 
growth,  taken  out  of  the  ground  on  the  5th  September,  and 
sent  to  the  writer,  arc  of  a  still  larger  size,  and  of  an  equally 
fine  description.     If  there  were  a  few  more  industrious  and  in- 
telligent settlers  upon  the  island,  like  Mr.  Pope  and  his  family, 
who  are  the  most  deserving  people  that  could  be  met  with,  it 
would  soon  obtain  a  very  different  character,  in  regard  both  to 
climate  and  soil,  than  has  hitherto  been  accorded  to  it.    Tho 
first  frost  which  appeared  this  year  at  the  South-west  Point, 
Mr.  Pope,  in  a  letter  to  the  writer,  says,  took  place  on  the  27th 
August,  but  was  not  sufficient  to  do  the  slightest  injury  to  his 
potatoes:  at  Quebec  the  tops  of  the  potatoes  were  blackened 
by  frost  about  the  same  time.    The  soil  at  tho  South-west  Point 


m 


42 


i  ♦■;■  ■  .s 


has  been  already  described;  but  tlic  writer  penetrated  about 
two  miles  into  the  woods  there,  where  he  found  the  soil  very 
similar  to  that  in  many  parts  of  Canada  in  the  original  forest, 
deep  Avith  vegetable  deposits,  without  stones  or  a  particle  of 
rock  to  be  perceived.     At  Gaspe,  with  a  less  genial  soil  and 
climate,  the  writer  saw  several  fields  of  excellent  wheat.    The 
trees  which,  near  the  sea  at  the  point,  were  about  a  foot  high 
and  spread  out  their  tops  like  mushrooms,  improved  gradually, 
but  rapidly,  as  he  entered  the  woods,  and  at  a  distance  of  a 
mile  back  were  sixty  or  seventy  feet  high.     This  alone  would 
indicate  the  existence  of  large  and   valuable   timber  in  the 
interior;   but  he  was  informed  by  all  whom  he  saw  on  the 
island  that  quantities  of  such  timber  were  to  be  met  with  in 
many  parts.     A  number  of  pieces  of  particularly  line  grained 
tamarack  he  saw  piled  up  with  some  other  Avood  near  the  light- 
house; and  the  firewood  which  the  steamer  procured  both  ac 
the  South-west  Point  and  at  Ellis  Bay,  proved  to  be  much 
better  than  that  obtained  at  Gaspd,  or  at  any  part  of  the  south 
shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence  where  the  steamer  took  in  fuel. 
After  being  three  times  in  the  bay  at  the  South-west  Point,  and 
examining  the  greater  portion  of  it,  and  after  having  been 
caught  in  a  north-west  gale  there,  which  obliged  the  steamer  to 
run  out  to  sea,  the  Captain  of  the  Wilmington,  Avho  has  a  good 
knowledge  of  the  construction  of  harbors  of  refuge,  and  who 
proved  himself  to  be  a  thorough  seaman  upon  several  trying 
occasions,  declared  that,  at  an  expense  of  .£2,000,  he  could 
build  a  breakwater  upon  the  reefs  running  out  from  the  point, 
which  would  render  the  bay  a  secure  shelter  in  all  winds  for 
the  largest  vessels.     A  harbor  could  also,  probably,  be  made 
at  Salt  Lake  Bay,  about  eight  miles  further  to  the  east.    As  at 
Ellis  Bay,  many  wild  flowers  and  fruits  and  the  sarsaparilla 
plant  were  met  with  at  the  South-west  Point;  also  a  plant  re- 
sembling the  cotton  plant,  and  the  reindeer  moss.     The  cran- 
berries, which  are  very  numerous  in  certain  parts  of  the  island, 
might  be  made  profitable  exports,  as  they  are  at  the  Magdalen 
Islands,  and  Prince  Edward's  Island,  whence  many  barrels  are 
sent  to  the  United  States,  where  they  arc  eagerly  purchased. 
At  the  present  time  cranberries  are  selling  in  Montreal  for  12s. 
a  bushel.    Mr.  Pope  mentioned  that  Admiral  Coffin  touched  at 


\  \ 


43 


ed  about 
soil  very 
il  forest, 
irticle  of 
soil  and 
It.    The 
'oot  high 
•adually, 
nee  of  a 
le  would 
T  in  the 
'■  on  the 
with  in 
grained 
he  light- 
both  ac 
be  much 
he  south 
in  fuel. 
3int,  and 
ng  been 
ianier  to 
3  a  good 
md  who 
1  trying 
le  could 
ic  point, 
inds  for 
)e  made 
As  at 
aparilla 
»lant  re- 
lic cran- 
i  island, 
agdalen 
rels  are 
'chased, 
for  12s. 
ichcd  at 


the  Soutli-wcst  Point  in  tlio  early  part  of  the  summer,  and 
after  making  many  inquiries  about  the  island, said  that  it  could 
be  made  to  produce  anything  which  can  be  grown  in  Canada. 
The  finest  clay  soil,  however,  appears  to  be  found  upon  the 
banks  of  Observation  River,  (the  scenery  at  the  entrance  of 
which  was  very  beautiful,  as  viewed  from  the  steamer  as  she 
passed,)  and  alt^o  on  the  north  side  of  the  island,  where  there 
are  many  spots  among  the  hills,  sheltered  entirely  from  easterly 
and  north-west  winds;  those  parts  having  been  pointed  out  to 
the  writer  by  persons  acquainted  with  them,  as  containing  the 
richest  soil  of  that  description  on  the  island,  so  far  as  it  is  yet 
known.  But  it  is  very  evident  that  net  one-tenth  of  the  island 
has  ever  been  explored,  or  even  traversed,  the  hunters  and 
fishermen,  and  others  who  have  ever  been  upon  it  having  con- 
fined their  excursions  to  the  sea  shore  and  the  principal  rivers, 
hardly  ever  venturing  any  distance  back  from  the  latter.  Like 
all  countries,  Anticosti  must  contain  much  bad  land  as  well  as 
good,  and  the  former  might  be  supposed  to  prevail  along  the 
shore,  where,  in  some  parts,  there  are  quaking  bogs,  like  those 
of  Ireland,  (which,  however,  may  be  drained  and  be  turned  into 
the  richest  soil,)  and  a  good  deal  of  rock;  but,  whether  the 
good  or  the  bad  land  predominate  to  any  extent  throughout 
the  island,  there  can  be  no  means  of  ascertaining,  without  a 
thorough  survey  of  the  interior.  That  much  good  land,  besides 
those  fertile  spots  which  have  been  pointed  out,  by  the  various 
parties  referred  to  in  this  communication,  is  likely  to  be  dis- 
covered by  such  a  survey,  the  vrriter  is  now  enabled  to  show 
upon  one  of  the  highest  authorities  existing  upon  this  continent, 
namely,  that  of  Professor  J.  Hall,  Pala3ontologist  of  the  New 
York  State  geological  survey,  and  author  of  the  "  Palasontology 
of  New  York,"  who,  having  examined  a  number  of  fossils 
brought  from  Anticosti  by  the  writer,  among  which  he  dis- 
covered a  new  species,  described  them  in  writing,  and  added 
the  following  lines  as  to  the  conclusions  which  may  be  drawn 
in  regard  to  the  island  from  their  presence  there:  *'  The  speci- 
mens indicate  the  occurrence  of  limestone  beds  with  alterna- 
tions of  shale,  and  the  decomposition  of  these  will  furnish  a 
productive  soil  in  consequence  of  the  abundance  of  calcareous 
matter."    These  specimens,  and  some  others,  which  they  had 


!''<<l 


n 


■iiiiMjiiiyi  r" 


not  time  to  properly  examine  at  tlic  moment,  both  Professor 
Hall,  and  our  own  talented  and  indefatigable  geologist,  Mr. 
Logan,  considered  so  interesting,  that  they  expressed  them- 
selves strongly  to  the  writer  upon  the  importance  of  the 
Government  undertaking  a  thorough  geological  survey  of  the 
island,  with  the  object  of  making  discoveries  there  which 
would  give  it  an  economic  value.  A  specimen  of  the  marble 
brought  from  the  island  obtained  the  first  prize  at  the  recent 
Provincial  exhibition  held  at  Quebec. 

As  Anticosti  belongs  to  a  number  of  persons,  some  of  them 
residing  in  Canada  and  others  in  England,  who  are  not  likely 
to  combine  in  any  comprehensive  plan  for  developing  its  re- 
sources, but  who  would  no  doubt  be  prepared  to  dispose  of  their 
interest  in  it  at  a  reasonable  price,  it  is  to  be  desired  that,  eithci 
the  Goverinnent,  or  some  public  company  in  Canada,  or  Eng- 
land, or  one  belonging  to  both  countries,  should  purchase  the 
island,  and  expend  sufficient  means,  which  the  present  proprie- 
tors could  not  aflbrd,  in  turning  its  resources  to  account.  Of 
the  two,  a  company,  which  could  enter  into  the  several  under- 
takings glanced  at  in  this  communication,  would  bo  tlic  more 
suitable  for  the  purpose;  but  the  field  may  be  made  to  embrace 
so  many  and  such  varied  objects,  that  it  could  well  give  em- 
ployment to  several  distinct  companies.  There  might  then  be 
a  colonization  company,  a  fishing  company,  and  a  commercial 
company;  the  first  purchasing  the  whole  island,  and  selling, 
or  leasing  to  the  others,  those  portions  of  the  coast  at  which  the 
operations  of  the  latter  could  be  most  conveniently  carried  on. 
A  thorough  survey,  however,  of  the  whole  island  might  be  well 
undertaken  by  the  Government  in  the  meantime;  for,  although 
it  belongs  to  private  individuals,  it  is  of  the  highest  pul)lic  im- 
portance, for  many  reasons,  which  must  suggest  themselves  in 
the  course  of  this  connnunication,  that  the  island  should  not  be 
allowed  to  continue  in  its  present  state  of  desolation;  besides 
which,  every  large  addition  made  to  the  inhabited  seaboard  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  must  materially  increase  the  commerce,  the 
shipping,  and  the  wealth  of  the  province. 


h 


^^rofessor 
gist,  Mr. 
ed  tliem- 
?  of  the 
3y  of  the 
i-o  which 
c  marble 
le  recent 

of  them 
ot  likely 
g  its  re- 
0  of  their 
at,  eithci 
,  or  Eng- 
iliase  the 

proprie- 
uut.  Of 
al  under- 
;]iG  more 
embrace 
^ivo  em- 
b  then  he 
mncrcial 

selling, 
rliich  tlio 
rried  on. 
t  be  well 
although 
ul)lic  im- 
■elvcs  in 
d  not  be 
;  besides 
board  of 
erce,  the 


GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  CANADA. 


REPORT  FOR  THE  YEAR  1856, 

OB" 

ME.  JAMES  ItlCHAEDSON,  EXPLOEEll, 

ADDKESHEU    TO 

SIR  WILLIAM  E.  LOGAN,  PROVINCIAL  GEOLOGIST. 


Montreal,  1st  3Iarch,  1857. 


Sir, 


Agreeably  to  the  instructions  received  from  you  in  June 
last  to  proceed  to  the  Island  of  Anticosti,  the  Mingan  Islands, 
and  the  Magdalen  River,  for  tlie  purpose  of  oljtainiug  infor- 
mation regarding  their  geology,  I  left  Montreal  on  the  last 
day  of  the  month,  and  embarked  with  my  assistant,  provisions 
and  field  equipment,  the  following  day  at  Quebec,  on  board  of 
a  schooner  which  reached  the  west  -ad  of  Anticosti  on  the  6th 

of  July. 

Through  the  prompt  attention  of  Mr.  Larue,  who  kindly 
supplied  me  with  horses  and  carts,  I  was  at  once  enabled  to 
land  our  materials,  which  without  his  aid  it  would  have  been 
necessary  to  carry  in  single  pieces  from  the  boats  to  the  shore, 
for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  through  the  surf,  with  much  loss  of 
time  and  risk  of  injury;  and  I  may  take  this  opportunity  of 
stating  that  I  was  on  several  subsequent  occasions  indebted  to 
him  for  his  attention  and  assistance. 

Not  being  able  to  induce  the  captain  of  the  schooner  which 
carried  me  to  the  island  to  convey  me  to  Mingan,  where  it 
was  my  intention  to  procure  men,  I  was  obliged  to  remain 


**f  r 


^1 


y 


Id 


where  I  had  landed  for  a  few  days,  until  another  scliooncr  for 
passage  over  and  back  Avas  procured.  While  instituting 
inquiries  at  Mingan  about  men,  1  luid  an  opportunity  of  making 
a  partial  examination  of  ilarbonr  island,  Large  island,  and 
one  point  of  Mingan  Island;  and  having  obtained  a  boat  and 
two  men,  Avith  little  prospect  of  obtaining  more,  the  Indians 
having  left  for  the  interior  previous  to  my  arrival,  Ave  left 
Mingan  on  the  IGth,  and  got  back  to  the  Avest  end  of  Anticosti 
tAvo  days  after. 

While  the  men  Avcre  preparing  our  lioat,  and  re-arranging 
our  provisions  for  an  excursion  round  the  island,  I  commenced 
the  work  of  the  season  by  a  careful  record  of  the  rocks  in  the 
neighborhood,  ascertaining  the  thickness  by  actual  measure- 
ment Avhere  exposed,  and  by  computation  Avhcre  concealed. 
When  practicable,  collections  of  fossils  Avere  nmde,  and  their 
stratagraphical  and  geographical  positions  recorded. 

On  the  23d  July  I  left  the  west  end,  the  men  proceeding 
with  the  boat  and  provisions  to  Gamache  or  Ellis  Bay,  while 
I  folloAved  on  foot;  at  Gamache  Bay  I  Avas  able  to  procure  a 
small  boat,  Avhich  Avas  of  great  advantage  in  facilitating  my 
work,  and  by  means  of  it  I  Avas  enabled  to  examine  the  coast 
and  collect  specimens  all  the  way  to  South-Avest  Point,  Avhile 
I  Avas  obliged  to  alloAv  the  men  to  bring  on  the  larger  boat 
with  provisions  as  best  they  could. 

At  South-west  Point,  finding  the  tAvo  men  I  had  engaged  at 
Mingan  not  suitable  for  our  work,  I  freed  them  from  their 
engagement,  and  hired  four  others  Avho  had  tAVO  boats  of  their 
own,  Avhich  I  also  hired,  leaving  our  OAvn  boat  at  South-west 
Point;  I  was  induced  to  do  this  iroin  the  consideration  that  in 
case  of  danger  the  men  Avould  be  likely  to  malr.e  a  greater 
effort  to  saA'e  their  own  boats  than  mine,  and  in  consequence 
save  what  was  in  them.  One  of  these  boats  Avas  devoted  to 
the  carriage  of  specimens,  and  the  other  of  provisions  and 
camp  equipage. 

On  the  14tii  August  we  left  South-Avcst  Point,  and  I  con" 
tinned  my  examination  to  the  east  end  of  the  island,  and  then 
along  the  north  coast,  keeping  always  in  company  with  the 
larger  boats,  AA'ith  the  exception  of  ten  days  at  Chaloupe 
River,  where  the  larger  boats  were  detained  from  head  winds 


i\ 


m 


r 


and  storms;  while  with  the  small  boat  and  two  men  I  examined 
the  east  end  of  the  island,  a  distance  of  nearly  fifty  miles. 

Considering  on  our  arrival  at  Charleton  Point,  on  the  12th 
September,  that  the  larger  boats  would  no  longer  be  so  much 
reijuirod,  1  sent  them  on  to  the  west  end,  where  they  arrived 
on  the  14th,  while  I  followed  and  examined  the  coast  with  the 
small  one,  getting  to  the  same  place  eight  days  later.  A  few 
days  were  spent  in  examining  the  rocks  in  that  neiglil)orhood, 
and  making  measurements  with  llochon's  micrometer  tele- 
scope, so  as  to  determine  more  minutely  the  thicknesses  of  the 
strata. 

But  few  excursions  were  made  into  the  interior  of  the  island; 
they  consisted  of  one  at  Otter  River,  for  about  two  miles  up; 
another  in  the  neighborhood  of  South-west  Point,  to  the  dis- 
tance of  a  mile  and  a  half;  a  third  at  Salmon  River,  for  five 
miles  inland;  another  at  Nugg  River;  and  a  fifth  by  Mr. 
Easton,  my  assistant,  to  Marl  Lake,  three-quarters  of  a  mile. 

On  the  30th  September  we  left  the  island  in  the  steamer 
Doris,  for  Quebec,  with  forty  boxes  and  barrels  of  fossils,  and 
the  provisions  intended  for  the  survey  of  the  ^Magdalen  River, 
as  well  as  our  camp  equipage,  making  sixty  parcels  in  all,  in 
addition  to  our  small  boat.  We  reached  Quebec  on  the  4th 
October,  and  on  my  arrival  at  Montreal,  on  the  7th,  on  account 
of  the  lateness  of  the  season,  you  reconnnended  the  postpone- 
ment of  the  survey  of  the  Magdalen  River. 

On  my  tour  of  the  coast  of  Anticosti,  I  met  with  much  at- 
tention and  personal  kindness  from  all  the  officers  in  charge 
of  the  government  lighthouses  and  provision  stations.  I  have 
groat  pleasure  in  having  an  opportunity  of  expressing  liow 
much  I  am  obliged  to  Mr.  Pope,  in  charge  of  South-west  Point 
lighthouse,  and  to  his  son,  Mr.  E.  Pope,  for  the  interest  they 
evinced  in  forwarding  the  objects  of  my  investigation,  and  in 
supplying  me  with  information  respecting  my  excursion  round 
the  island,  as  well  as  the  care  his  whole  family  displayed  in 
supplying  me  with  comforts,  at  the  time  otherwise  Ijcyond  my 
reach.  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Corbet,  the  lessee  of  the  island, 
and  to  Mr.  Braddley,  of  Clialoiupo  River,  for  their  attention; 
as  well  as  to  Mr.  E.  Julyan  and  his  family,  of  Heath  Point,  in 
supplying  my  wants  on  my  arrival  there  without  provisions, 


.H«.| 


K.l 


r:'fi 


m 


48 


my  boat  having  been  detained  for  nearly  a  week  after  my  arri- 
val, by  contrary  Aviiids  and  s^torm.-'. 

In  searching  for  hands  to  aid  mo  in  ray  work,  some  difficulty 
was  experienced  to  procure  men  acciuainted  with  the  coast,  not- 
withstanding that  considerable  wages  were  ottered;  1  found 
none  that  had  been  round  any  considerable  portion  of  the  north 
side,  and  an  opinion  appeared  to  prevail  among  such  as  had 
been  for  years  on  the  island,  in  regard  to  that  part,  that  was 
anything  but  encouraging.  They  seemed  to  be  under  the  same 
delusion  respecting  the  north-east  coast  of  Anticosti,  that  those 
at  a  greater  distance  arc  in  respect  to  the  whole  of  it. 

Since  my  return  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  readhig  an 
article  on  the  resources  and  capabilities  of  the  island,  l)y  ^[r. 
llochc,  published  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Literary  and  lEis- 
torical  Society  of  Quebec,  in  1855;  and  in  so  far  as  I  am 
enabled  to  judge,  find  it  a  correct  and  unexaggerated  state- 
ment of  facts. 

Character  of  the  Country  and  Coast. 

A  great  part  of  the  coast  has  a  belt  of  reefs  that  are  dry  at 
low  water,  while  they  are  covered  according  to  the  state  of 
the  tide  at  various  depths  at  liigli  water.  The  outer  edge  of 
these  reefs  forms  a  precipice,  according  to  Baytield,  of  twenty, 
fifty  and  even  a  hundred  feet;  they  occa^nonally  slielve  a  lit.lo, 
but  generally  so  little  that  vessels  approaching  tlic  coast  have 
but  small  intimation  of  danger  from  soundings. 

These  reefs  are  composed  of  the  argillaceous  limestone  of 
the  island,  and  extend  out  froni  the  shore  usually  from  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  to  a  mile;  and  in  one  or  two  instances  to  about 
a  mile  and  a  half.  They  conform  to  the  bends  of  the  coast, 
and  where  bays  occur,  deep  water  may  be  expected  to  within 
a  quarter  or  half  a  mile  of  the  head  of  the  bay,  in  a  line  u))  the 
centre,  usually  at  about  right  angles  to  the  general  run  of  the 
coast. 

From  tlie  west  end,  the  reefs  are  continuous  on  the  south 
side  to  St.  Mary's  River,  for  about  six  miles  to  the  east  of 
wliich  deep  water  prevails  close  in  shore;  from  tliis  the  reefs 
again  extend  to  South-west  Point,  with  the  exception  of  a  mile 


I 


40 


beforo  reacliinj]^  it,  and  a  mile  on  each  sido  of  Jupiter  Ilivor. 
From  South-west  I'oint  they  run  about  four  miles  to  tlio  east, 
beyond  whieh,  to  Iron  lliver,  only  a  few  points  were  observed 
where  r-cfs  existed;  but  IVom  Iron  lliver  to  HeatJi  Point,  and 
for  two  miles  north-east  of  it,  they  are  very  general.  On  the 
north  side,  deep  water  prevails  close  in  towards  the  beacli,  as 
far  as  Observation  ]Jay;  but  from  Observation  Bay  to  the  west 
end,  reefs  are  well  marked,  with  the  exception  of  about  a  mile, 
rounding  North  Point. 

On  the  reefs  it  is  not  uncommon  to  meet  with  l)()ulders,  but 
great  distances  may  be  seen  without  them;  where  they  occur 
it  is  generally  in  considerable  numl)ers,  covering  patches  of 
from  one  or  two  acres  up  to  half  a  mile;  they  are  oftener  seen 
in  the  bays  than  in  less  siieltered  places;  but  North  Point 
would  1)0  an  excepti(.n  to  tiiis;  they  are  there  closely  packed 
together  for  about  half  a  mile,  and  some  of  them  are  of  a  large 
size;  tliey  l)elong  to  the  Laurentian  series  of  rocks. 

The  south  side  of  the  island,  in  its  general  aspect,  is  low; 
the  most  elevated  i)oints  close  on  this  coast  are  at  the  mouth 
of  Jupiter  Kiver,  where  cliils  rise  on  the  east  side  to  the  heiu-ht 
of  fi-oin  eighty  to  a  hundred  feet;  and  on  the  west  side  to  a 
hundred  and  fifty  feet.  On  no  other  part  of  the  south  coast 
were  tliey  observed  to  rise  more  than  from  thirty  to  sixty  feet, 
but  tlie  general  height  al)ove  tlie  sea  is  from  ten  to  twenty 
feet. 

From  South-west  Point  to  the  west  end,  the  hills  iidand  are 
more  elevated  than  they  are  to  the  eastward;  in  general  they 
rise  gradually  and  more  continuously  from  the  shore,  attaining 
the  height  of  from  a  hundred  andiifty  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
feet,  at  about  the  distance  of  from  one  to  three  miles.  From 
this  however  are  to  be  excepted  certain  localities  on  the  coast, 
where  plains  are  met  with  having  a  superficial  area  of  from  a 
hundred  to  a  thousand  acres  underlaid  by  peat,  partly  bare  of 
vegetation,  Imt  over  considerable  spaces,  supporting  a  heavy 
growth  of  wild  grass  from  four  to  five  feet  high. 

From  a  po.-ition  a  few  nules  east  of  South-west  Point  to 
Wreck  Bay,  which  is  at  the  east  end  of  the  island,  between 
Heath  Point  and  East  Point,  the  elevation  of  the  coast  above 
high  water  is  from  seven  to  fifteen  feet,  with  the  exception  of 


^> 


so 


j^l)» 


the  nci^lilioi'liood  of  South  Point  and  Cormorant  Point,  which 
rise  to  the  hci<i,ht  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  on  the  shore; 
but  very  little  rise  takes  place  inland  for  from  one  to  three 
miles,  and  tliis  flat  surface  is  Ixmnded  to  the  north  by  afjradual 
slope,  risin<i-  to  theheiglit  of  from  one  hundred  to  two  Inindred 
feet,  i»rol)ably  becomin<>:  more  elevated  still  furthei-  inland. 
The  low  country  is  a  succession  of  i)eat  plains,  occasionally 
bare,  but  often  covered  with  Avild  grass;  the  whole  being 
varied  with  strips  and  clumjis  of  trees,  as  well  as  dotted  with 
small  lakes,  on  which  ducks,  geese,  and  other  wild  fowl  breed 
in  considerable  numbers. 

The  whole  of  the  north  side  of  the  island  is  a  succession  of 
ridge-like  elevations  of  from  200  to  oOO  feet  above  the  sea, 
separated  l)y  depressions.  From  Engli.-h  Head,  three  miles 
east  from  the  west  end  to  West  Cliff,  a  distance  of  lifty-eight 
miles  in  a  straight  line,  each  successive  ridge  and  valley  occu- 
pies a  l)readth  of  from  four  to  six  miles;  the  ridges  form  a 
somewhat  rounded  end,  facing  the  sea  on  the  north:  their  rise 
is  first  well  marked  at  from  a  quarter  of  a  nule  to  a  mile  from 
the  shore,  and  in  about  a  mile  more  inland  they  attain  their 
greatest  elevati(m;  continuing  this  elevation  to  the  south  and 
widening,  they  narrow  the  intermediate  valley,  until,  as  far  as 
known,  the  country  becomes  in  appearance  of  a  gently  undu- 
latir  x  character.  The  run  of  the  valleys  with  some  exceptions 
is  from  S.  10^  W.  to  S.  30^  W. 

Macastey  Ilidge  or  Mountain,  eleven  miles  cast  from  the-west 
end,  rises  upwards  of  four  hundred  feet  at  about  a  mile  inland. 
High  Cliff,  eighteen  miles  further  cast,  is  probably  500  feet, 
one  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore;  these  arc  in  some 
respects  the  most  conspicuous  ridges.  High  Cliff  is  a  bold 
head-land,  while  Macastey  Mountain  is  separated  by  a  bfoader 
valley  than  usual  from  its  neighbor  to  the  east,  and  is  uigher 
than  any  other  to  the  west.  Macastey  ^lou  itaiii  is  a  conspicu- 
ous object  when  viewed  even  from  the  south  side  of  the 
island,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Ellis,  or  Gamache  Bay;  sailing 
up  this  natural  harbor,  it  is  observed  in  front,  a  little  to  the 
right,  about  five  or  six  miles  distant. 


m 


Tho  snoco-jainn  of  lidiio  and  valley,  from  English  Head  all 
tlio  way  to  West  Cliff,  is  rcqular  and  charactoristic,  and  pro- 
duces a  plcasino;  and  beautiful  effect,  l^'rom '  West  Cliff  to 
Observation  Bay,  ;i  distance  of  about  twenty  miles,  there  is  a 
similar  succession,  l)ut  on  this  part  the  ridfj^es  rise  to  their  full 
elevation  nearer  to  the  shore.  W'-  4  Cliff  rises  immediately 
over  the  sea  to  an  elevation  of  i»<t\vccn  200  and  400  feet. 
Charleton  Point  has  an  el<;vation  of  100  feet  over  the  sea,  and 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  inland  rises  to  between  300  and  400  feet: 
from  Charleton  Point  to  01)servatiou  Bay  tiie  coast  is  some- 
what lower.  Observation  Bay  forniinf^  an  indentation  on  the 
coast  of  a  mile  and  a  (piarter  deep,  and  five  miles  across;  from 
the  head  of  this  l)ay  a  well  marked  valley  bcxrs  S.  10°  W. 

From  Oljservation  Bay  to  Gull  Cape,  a  distance  of  iifty-three 
miles,  the  cliffs  become  more  prominent  on  the  coast,  risini^ 
almost  perpendicularly  at  the  points  to  the  height  of  from 
100  to  :H)0  feet;  and  the  indentations  are  more  numerous, 
producing-  more  sharply  defined  valleys. 

Between  Bear  Head  and  Cape  Hobcrt,  a  distance  of  five 
miles  and  a  half,  the  greatest  indentation  from  a  straight  lino 
is  about  a  mile  and  a  half;  but  this  is  subdivided  into  Eastou 
Bay,  Tower  Bay,  and  W!:ito  Bay,  the  last  being  the  largest. 

f^almon  lliver  Bay,  East  from  Cape  Henry,  is  five  miles 
wide,  and  its  greatest  depth  is  one  mile.  Salmon  River  runs 
tlirough  a  well  marked  valley,  of  Avhicli  the  general  bearing 
ui> stream  is  S.  0")'^  W.  for  nearly  six  miles,  where  a  transverse 
valley,  in  the  bearing  N.  77'-"  W.  and  S.  77°  E.  (al)out  parallel 
with  the  coast)  meets  it.  and  gives  it  two  streams  running  from 
opposite  directions.  From  the  middle  of  the  valley  the  land 
gradually  rises  on  each  side  to  the  height  of  from  400  to  450 
feet,  and  the  bed  of  the  valley  must  rise  pretty  fast;  for 
though  the  current  of  the  stream  is  without  leaps,  it  is  rather 
ra})id. 

Prinsta  Bay,  further  east,  is  an  indentation  of  about  one  mile 
in  depth,  with  a  width  of  a  mile  and  a  half;  perpendicular 
cliffs  surround  this  bay  to  the  height  of  from  100  to  150  feet, 
except  at  the  very  head,  where  two  creeks  cut  through  the 
rock.  On  the  west  side  of  Prinsta  Bay  is  Cape  James.  150 
feet  in  height;  and  on  the  east  is  Table  Head.    Table  Head 


1  - 

u 

i 

i, , 


52 


!■  ■  H 


11  ■    'A- 


■»i  I? 


Las  a  iacc  of  from  loO  to  IGO  feet  perpendicular,  and  gains 
almost  at  once  an  additional  height,  from  the  summit  of  ■wiiieh 
there  is  a  gradual  descent  on  the  opposite  side,  the  surface 
forming  on  that  side  a  rough  outline  to  the  valley  through 
which  Fox  liiver  passes  to  Fox  Bay,  -which  affords  the  secoud 
important  harhor  on  the  island.  The  upward  course  of  the 
valley  of  the  Fox  River  is  N.  72^  AV. 

From  Fox  Point  on  the  west  side  of  the  bay  to  Gull  Cape, 
upwards  of  a  mile  on  the  east  side,  there  is  a  distance  of  six 
miles,  in  which  the  coast  is  low — Fox  Point,  the  highest  part 
of  this,  not  being  more  than  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  above  the 
sea. 

From  Gull  Cape  to  Wreck  Bay,  a  distance  of  eleven  miles, 
the  cliffs  are  in  general  perpendicular,  and  from  100  to  130 
feet  high,  gaining  but  little  elevation  inland,  probably  not 
over  100  feet,  while  the  surface  liack  from  them  gives,  as  far 
as  observed,  a  slightly  rolling  co     try. 

Excepting  the  valley  of  Ju}).,  r  River,  there  are  no  well 
defined  valleys  on  the  south  side  of  the  island. 

In  respect  to  the  soil  of  the  island,  the  plains  on  the  south 
side,  as  has  been  stated,  arc  composed  of  peat,  but  the  g-cncral 
vegetation  of  the  country  is  supported  by  a  drift  composed 
for  the  most  part  of  a  calcareous  clay,  and  a  light  grey  or 
brown  colored  sand.  The  elements  of  the  soil  would  lead  to 
the  conclusion  of  its  being  a  good  one;  but  the  ojdnion  of  most 
persons,  guided  by  the  rules  derived  from  the  description  of 
timber  which  grows  on  it,  would  not  Ijc  favorable,  as  tlierc 
is  almost  a  complete  absence,  as  far  as  my  observation  went, 
of  the  hard-wood  trees,  supposed  to  be  the  sure  indication  of  a 
good  settling  country. 

The  most  abundant  tree  is  spruce,  in  size  varying  from  eiglit 
to  eighteen  inches  in  diameter,  and  from  forty  to  eighty  feet 
in  length.  On  the  north  coast,  end  in  some  parts  of  the  south, 
it  is  found  of  good  size  in  the  open  woods  close  by  the  beach, 
witliout  any  intervening  space  of  stunted  growth;  the  stunted 
growth  was  occasionally  met  with  on  the  north  side,  but  it  is 
only  on  the  tops  of  cliffs,  and  other  places  exposed  to  the 
sweep  of  the  heavy  coast  winds,  where  spruce,  or  any  other 
tree  on  the  island,  is  stunted.     In  these  situations  there  is 


V^fc= 


I;- 


oftentimes  a  low,  dense,  and  almost  impenetrable  barrier  of 
stunted  spruce,  of  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  across,'and  rarely 
exceeding  a  hundred  feet;  beyond  wliicli  open  woods  and  good, 
comparatively  large,  timber  prevails. 

Pine  was  observed  in  the  valley  of  the  Salmon  River,  about 
four  miles  inland,  where  ten  or  twelve  trees  that  were  measured 
gave  from  twelve  to  twenty  inches  in  diameter  at  the  base, 
with  heights  varying  from  sixty  to  eighty  feet.  White  and 
yellow  birch  are  common  in  sizes  from  a  few  inches  to  two  feet 
in  diameter  at  the  base,  and  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  high. 
Balsam-lir  was  seen,  but  it  was  small  and  not  abundant. 
Tamarack  was  observed,  but  it  was  likewise  small  and  scarce. 
One  of  our  men,  however,  Avho  is  a  hunter  on  the  island,  in- 
formed me  he  liad  seen  groves  of  this  timber  north  from  Ellis 
or  Gamache  Bay,  of  which  some  of  the  trees  were  three  feet 
in  diameter,  and  over  a  hundred  feet  in  height.  Poplar  was 
met  with  in  groves,  close  to  the  beach,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
island. 

Of  fruit-bearing  trees  and  shrubs,  the  mountain-ash,  or 
rowan,  was  the  largest;  it  was  most  abundant  in  the  interior, 
but  ai^jjeared  to  l)c  of  the  largest  size  close  on  the  beach, 
especially  on  the  north  side,  where  it  attains  the  height  of 
forty  feet,  witli  long  extending  and  somewhat  slender  branches, 
covered  with  clusters  of  fruit.  The  liigli  cranberry  (  Vlhuymmi 
opuluH)  produces  a  large  and  juicy  fruit,  and  is  abundant.  A 
species  of  gooseberry  bush  of  frc  m  two  to  three  feet  higli  is 
met  witli  in  the  woods,  but  ap[)ears  to  thrive  best  close  to  the 
shingle,  on  the  beach,  where  strips  of  two  or  three  yards 
across  and  half  a  mile  long  were  occasionally  covered  with  it; 
the  fruit  is  very  good  and  resembles  in  taste  the  garden  berry; 
it  is  smooth  and  black  colored,  and  about  the  size  of  a  common 
marble;  the  shrub  appeared  to  be  very  prolific.  Red  and 
black  currants  are  likewise  al^undant;  there  appear  to  be  two 
kinds  of  each,  in  one  of  which  the  berry  ib  smooth,  resembling 
l)oth  in  taste  and  appearance  that  of  the  garden,  the  other 
rough  and  prickly,  with  a  bitter  taste. 

Strawberries  are  found  near  the  beach;  in  size  and  flavor 
they  are  but  little  inferior  to  the  garden  fruit;  they  are  most 
abundant  among  tlie  grass  in  the  openings,  and  their  season  is 


^2i». 


m^xasB^mmusmmSS^  mKMma&^umt 


54 


i 


'     f 


from  the  middle  of  July  to  the  end  of  August.  Five  or  six 
other  kinds  of  fruit-bearing-  plants  were  obscrvad,  some  of 
which  miglit  be  found  of  value.  The  low  cranberry  was  seen 
in  one  or  two  places  in  some  al)undance,  but  I  was  informed 
that  it  was  loss  abundant  than  in  many  other  past  seasons. 
The  raspberry  was  rarely  met  with. 

The  most  surprising  part  of  the  natural  vegetation  was  a 
species  of  pea  which  was  found  on  the  beach,  and  in  open 
spaces  in  tiie  woods;  on  the  beach  the  plant,  like  the  ordinary 
cultivated  field-pea,  often  covered  spaces  from  a  quarter  of  an 
acre  to  an  acre  in  extent;  the  stem  and  the  leaf  were  large, 
and  the  pea  sufficiently  so  to  bo  gatliered  for  use;  the  straw, 
when  required,  is  cut  and  cured  for  feed  for  cattle  and  horses 
during  the  winter. 

But  little  is  yet  known  of  the  agricultural  capabilities  of  the 
island;  the  only  attempts  at  cultivation  that  have  been  made 
are  at  Gamache  Bay,  J^outh-wcst  Point  and  Heath  Point. 
South-west  Point  and  Heath  Point  are  two  of  the  most  ex- 
posed places  in  the  island;  and  Gamache  Bay,  thougli  a 
sheltered  position,  has  a  peat  soil;  the  whole  tliree  are  thus 
unfavoralde. 

On  the  2  2d  July  potatoes  were  well  advanced  and  in 
healthy  condition  at  Gamache  Bay;  but  a  field  under  hay, 
consisting  of  timothy,  clover  and  natural  grass,  did  not  show  a 
heavy  crop.  At  South-west  Point,  Mr.  Pope  had  about  three 
acres  of  potatoes  planted  in  rows  three  feet  apart;  lie  informed 
me  he  expected  a  yield  of  600  bushels,  and  at  the  time  of  uiy 
arrival  on  the  5th  of  August,  the  })lants  were  in  full  blossom, 
and  covered  the  ground  thoroughly;  judging  from  the  appear- 
ance they  seemed  the  finest  patch  of  potatoes  1  had  ever  seen. 
About  half  an  acre  of  barley  was  at  the  time  commencing  to 
ripen;  it  stood  about  four  feet  high,  with  strong  stalk  and  well 
filled  ear.  I  observed  oats  in  an  adjoining  ])atch;  those  had 
been  late  sown,  being  intended  for  winter  feed  for  cattle;  their 
appearance  indicated  a  largo  yield. 

On  the  day  of  my  arrival  at  Heath  Point,  the  23d  August, 
I  accompanied  Mr.  Julyan  al)out  a  uiile  from  the  lighthouse, 
to  a  piece  of  ground  composed  of  yellowish-brown  loam,  which 
he  had  cleared  in  the  wood,  and  planted  about  the  middle  of 


55 


June  with  potatoes  and  peas;  oftlie  potatoes  he  procured 
a  bucket-full  of  good  size  and  middling  good  quality,  The 
peas  were  in  blossom,  vet  a  few  pods  Averc  found  to  l>e  lit 
for  use.  In  this  patch  I  discovered  three  ears  of  l)ahl  wheat, 
the  seed  of  which  had  been  among  the  peas  when  sown;  they 
were  jurft  getting  into  blossom,  and  probably  woukl  ripen;  the 
ear  was  an  average  size,  and  the  straw  about  three  and  a  half 
feet  high. 

I  observed  frost  only  once;  it  was  on  tholSth  September, 
but  not  sufliciently  severe  to  do  injury  to  growing  crops;  and  I 
was  informed  by  Mr.  Jnlyan  that  the  hjwcst  tcmiieraturoof  the 
previous  winter  was  only  seven  degrees  of  Fahrenheit  below 
zero.  On  the  coast,  as  might  be  expected,  the  atmosphere  is 
dami)cr,  and  the  temperature  from  ten  to  fifteen  degrees  below 
that  of  the  interior,  during  June,  July,  August,  and  Septcmljer, 
and  proljably  May  and  Octoi)er. 

During  the  three  months  of  my  stay  on  the  island,  fogs  pre- 
vailed for  ten  days,  six  of  which  were  the  31st  July  and  the 
2d,  8d.  4th,  and  5th  of  August,  while  we  were  at  South- 
west Point:  Mr.  Pope  told  me  it  was  an  unusual  occurrence. 
I  observed  that  frequent  openings  in  the  fog  were  seen  towards 
the  land,  leading  to  the  idea  that  it  was  less  dense  in  the 
interior, 

I  observed  some  cattle  at  South-west  Point,  belonging  to  Mr. 
Poi)e  and  Mr.  Corbet;  they  appeared  to  l)e  in  good  condition 
although  they  had  been  left  to  provide  for  themselves  in  the 
wood  openings,  or  along  the  shore.  A  horse  belonging  to 
Mr.  Pope  was  in  equally  good  condition. 

Harhors. 

Gamache  or  Ellis  Bay  and  Fox  Bay  are  the  only  two 
harbors  on  the  island  that  are  comi)arativcly  safe  in  all  Avinds; 
the  former  is  eight  and  a  half  miles  from  West-end  Lighthouse, 
on  the  south  side;  the  latter  is  liftccn  miles  from  Heath  Point 
Lighthouse,  on  the  north  side.  From  Cone  Eagle  to  Cape 
Henry,  across  the  mouth  of  Gamache  Bay,  the  distance  is  two 
miles,  Avith  a  breadth  of  deep  water  of  three  quarters  of  a  iuile, 
extending  up  the  bay  a  mile  and  a  half,  wjiile  the  depth  of  the 


56 


indentation  is  two  miles  and  a  half.  Fox  Bay  is  smaller,  and 
lias  less  depth  of  water  than  Gamache  Bay.  The  distance 
across  its  mouth  is  a  mile  and  a  half,  with  half  a  mile  of  deep 
water  in  the  centre,  extending  up  the  bay  nine-tenths  of  a  mile; 
the  Avhole  depth  of  the  indentation  being  one  mile  and  two- 
tenths.  These  two  harbors  occur  in  the  same  geological  forma- 
tion, while  the  rock  presents  a  very  .regular  and  comparatively 
level  surface,  over  which  a  road  could  be  easily  constructed 
from  one  harbor^  to  the  other,  the  distance  being  120  miles; 
by  such  means  the  whole  island  would  be  brought  to  within 
a  moderate  distance  of  a  road  having  a  natural  harbor  at 
each  end. 

it  belongs  to  an  engineer  to  say  how  far  these  natural  harbors 
might  be  capable  of  artificial  improvement.  The  belt  of  reef 
about  a  mile  wide,  that  lines  the  shore  within  them,  is  com- 
posed ofargillaceous  limestone,  in  nearly  horizontal  beds,  which 
are  dry  at  low  water  of  spring  tides.  Possibly  one  mode  of 
improvement  might  be  to  make  excavations  in  tiie  limestone  to 
tlie  depth  required,  and  to  use  the  materials  thus  obtained 
partly  to  raise  the  sides  of  the  excavations  high  enough  for 
piers,  and  partly  for  the  construction  of  break-waters  outside. 
The  depth  of  water  on  tlie  reefs  at  spring  tides  is  about  six 
feet,  and  the  strength  of  the  break-water  might  be  made  ac- 
cordingly. I  have  been  informed  that  a  vessel  of  500  tons  has 
been  loaded  with  a  cargo  of  timber  in  Gamache  Bay. 

During  a  heavy  wind  from  the  east,  while  I  was  at  Fox  Bay, 
a  schooner  ran  in  for  shelter,  and  appeared  to  be  quite  safe. 
On  account  of  the  safeness  of  this  harbor,  a  provision  ])ost  was 
established  in  it;  but  since  the  erection  of  Heath  Point  Light- 
liouse,  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  ago,  it  has  been  discon- 
tinued. Not  a  single  house  now  remains,  although  tliey  ap- 
pear to  have  been  numerous  at  one  time.  I  mention  this 
more  particularly  as  on  all  the  charts  I  have  seen  Provision 
Post  still  remains  indicated  there;  and  it  happened  in  one  in- 
stance, at  least,  that  a  vessel  was  wrecked  wiiliin  sight  of  Heath 
Point,  but  the  crew,  instead  of  going  to  the  lighthouse,  went 
straight  to  Fox  Bay,  where  they  confidently  expected  to  find 
shelter;  the  consequence  was  that  several  of  them  perished  with 
cold  and  hunger  (the  time  being  the  beginning  of  December) 


57 


before  they  could  reach  the  liglithouse  at  Heath  Point.  The 
indication  cannot  he  erased  from  old  charts  that  may  he  in  the 
hands  of  mariners,  but  I  aui  not  aware  what  moans  have  been 
taken  to  make  navigators  acquainted  with  the  change. 

I  do  not  know  of  any  other  harbors  on  the  Island  tliat  are 
sheltered  from  all  winds,  and  it  appears  to  me  that  from  every 
other  position  on  the  coast,  any  vessel  near  the  shore,  down  to 
the  size  of  a  schooner,  during  the  existence  of  one  Avind  or 
other  would  be  immediately  obliged  to  put  to  sea;  for  small 
boats  of  from  three  to  ten  tons  burtlicn,  there  are  scarcely  ten 
miles  of  the  coast  where  shelter  could  not  be  found  by  passing 
up  the  small  rivers  at  high  water;  and  there  are  many  bays 
that  might  perhaps  be  made  safe  by  excavations  similar  to 
those  to  which  allusion  has  been  made. 


iSS*'"! 


Rivers  and  Lakes. 

The  streams  that  are  met  with  along  the  coast  are,  consider- 
ing the  breadth  of  the  island,  very  numerous.  There  is  scarcely 
a  mile  that  is  not  supplied  with  its  clear  stream  of  water,  and 
every  six  or  nine  miles  show  one  of  a  size  sufficiently  large, 
and  witli  a  flow  sufficientb  constant,  to  keep  machinery  going. 
Waterfalls  near  the  coast  often  pres(  at  excellent  sites  for  the 
purpose.  The  water  of  these  streams  is  always  more  or  less 
calcareous.  On  the  south  side  the  largest  rivers  are  the  Bec- 
scie,  the  Otter,  the  Jupiter,  (which  is  the  largest  on  the  island,) 
the  Pavilion,  and  Chaloupe;  on  the  north,  the  Fox  and  Salmon 
Rivers  are  the  largest. 

On  the  south  shore  numerous  ponds  and  small  lakes  were 
seen  just  inside  the  shingle  beach;  towards  the  east  end  of  the 
island  they  occur  in  the  low  swampy  flat  that  there  runs  along 
the  shore.  None  were  met  with  further  back,  and  none  were 
observed  on  the  north  side  of  the  island,  except  a  few  small 
ponds  close  to  the  beach. 

Great  Salt  Lake,  Little  Salt  Lake,  Chaloupe  Lake,  and  Lake 
Lacroix  on  the  south  side,  and  Fox  Lake  on  the  north  side  arc 
in  reality  lagoons  of  salt  water,  the  tide  flowing  in  and  out 
and  mingling  with  the  fresh  water  of  the  rivers. 

Most  of  the  streams  and  lakes  swarm  with  the  finest  brook 


58 


'■ji 


1  A 


trout  and  salmon  trout,  and  hiriic  shoals  of  mackerel  were 
almost  daily  observed  all  around  the  island.  But  in  my  tour  I 
saw  no  appcaranee  of  schooners  employed  in  fishing,  with  the 
exception  of  one  at  South  Point.  The  only  operations  1  heard 
of  connected  with  the  trade,  were  carried  on  at  the  mouth  of  a 
few  of  the  larger  streams  on  the  south  side  and  at  that  of  Sal- 
mon River  on  the  north  by  men  under  Mr.  Corbet,  the  lessee 
of  the  island,  and  they  were  entirely  confined  to  the  taking  of 
salmon  and  salmon  trout.  Seals  were  extremely  abundant, 
and  but  for  a  few  Indians  who  come  over  from  Mingan  in  July 
and  August,  and  take  a  few  of  them  on  the  north  side  of  the 
island,  they  would  be  wholly  undisturbed.  In  the  bays  and 
more  sheltered  places  round  the  island  these  creatui'cs  are  met 
with  by  thousands.  It  was  not  unconmion  to  stumble  across 
one  asleep  on  the  beach,  when  generally  it  was  despatched 
with  a  blow  or  two  of  our  hammers. 

Several  species  of  whale  were  observed  to  be  abundant  to- 
wards the  west  end  of  the  island.  This  must  bo  a  favorite 
resort,  as  they  were  either  seen  ^  r  heard  at  irregular  intervals 
day  and  night.  One  of  them,  about  sixty  feet  in  length,  and 
about  fifteen  feet  above  the  water's  edge,  was  found  grounded 
on  the  reef  in  Trinsta  Bay  when  we  passed  on  the  3d  Sep- 
tember. 

The  only  fishing  schooners  I  saw,  with  the  exception  of  the 
one  mentioned,  were  at  the  Mingan  Islands,  where  twelve  or 
thirteen  came  to  the  harbor  for  shelter  during  a  storm.  I  was 
informed  by  Mr.  Henderson,  the  gentleman  in  charge  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company's  post  at  Mingan,  that  they  were  all 
from  American  ports. 

■    Wild  Animals. 

The  wild  animals  met  with  on  the  island,  as  far  as  I  am 
aware,  are  the  common  black  bear,  the  red,  the  black,  and  the 
silver  fox,  and  the  marten.  Bears  are  said  to  be  very  numerous 
and  hunlers  talk  of  their  being  met  with  by  dozens  at  a  time; 
but  on  my  excursion  I  only  observed  one  at  Ellis  Bay, 
two  near  Cormorant  Point,  and  one  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Observation  Cape.    I  came  upon  the  last  one  on  a  narrow  strip 


il 


yL. 


m 

of  Ijcacli  at  the  foot  of  a  high  and  nearly  vertical  cliff.  ^  Seen 
from  a  distance  I  took  the  animal  for  a  burnt  log,  and  it  ^vas 
only  when  within  fifty  yards  of  him  that  I  perceived  my  mistake. 
He  appeared  to  be  too  Ijusily  engaged  in  making  his  morning 
meal,  on  the  remains  of  a  seal,  to  pay  any  attention  to  me. 
for,  although  with  a  view  of  giving  him  notice  to  qnit,  I  struck 
my  hammer  upon  a  boulder  that  was  near,  and  made  other 
noises  which  I  conceived  might  alarm  him,  he  never  raised  his 
head  to  show  that  he  was  aware  of  my  presence,  but  fed  on 
until  he  had  finished  the  carcase,  obliging  me,  having  no  rillc, 
to  remain  a  looker-on  for  half  an  hour.  When  nothing  of  the 
seal  remained  but  the  bones,  the  bear  climl)cd  in  a  leisurely 
way  up  the  face  of  the  naked  cliff,  which  could  not  be  many 
degrees  out  of  the  perpendicular,  tlirowing  down  as  he  passed 
coiisideraljle  blocks  of  rock,  and  disappeared  over  the  summit 
which  was  not  less  than  a  hundred  feet  above  the  sea. 

■foxes  and  martens  are  very  abundant;  the  marten  was  fre- 
quently heard  during  the  night  in  the  neigldiorliood  of  our 
camp,  and  foxes  were  seen  on  several  occasions.  Of  the  silver- 
grey  fox,  the  skin  of  which  frequently  sells  for  from  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  ])Ounds  currency,  from  four  to  twelve  have  been 
obtained  by  the  hunters  every  winter.  Ish.  Corbet,  the  lessee 
of  the  island,  employs  several  men  during  that  season  to  hunt 
these  animals  for  their  fur,  and  I  understand  he  makes  some 
profit  by  the  trade. 

I  heard  of  no  animals  of  any  other  description,  with  the 
exception  of  wild  fowl,  and  I  saw  no  frogs  nor  reptiles  of  any 
descrii)tion,  and  I  was  informed  by  the  hunters  that  there  were 
none. 

Distribution  of  the  Bocks. 

The  rocks  of  the  island  were  found  on  examination  to  be  in 
great  part  somewhat  different  in  their  general  lithological 
character,  as  well  as  in  their  fossil  contents,  from  any  that  had 
previously  come  under  my  notice.  I  therefore  resolved  to 
separate  them  into  certain  stratagraphical  groups.  Icavingt  he 
determination  of  their  geological  age  to  future  investigation. 
These  divisions  in  ascending  order  I  shall  therefore  call— 


60 

1.  Division  A. 

2.  Division  B. 

3.  Division  C. 

4.  Division  D. 

5.  Division  E. 

6.  Division  F. 


1 


Division  A. 

This  division  of  the  strata,  which  was  the  lowest  met  with, 
is,  in  its  general  character,  an  argillaceous  limestone;  tlie  hest 
section  of  it  occurs  in  the  neighborhood  of  English  Head,  at 
the  west  end  of  the  island,  and  the  following  is  a  sequence  of 
the  beds  in  ascending  order: 

ft.    in. 

Grey  limestone  beds  of  two  and  three  indies  thick,  interstrntificd  with 
greenish  colored  shale;  the  limestone  beds  are  in  places  tilled  with 
fossils  in  patches  of  from  two  to  three  feet  in  diameter,  while  no 
fossils  would  be  observed  in  the  same  bed  for  considerable  intervals. 
These  fossils  consisted  of  univalve  and  bivalve  shells,  and  the  sur- 
faces of  the  shale  were  covered  with  fucoids.  The  beds  of  lime- 
ptono  are  hard  and  compact,  and  the  fossils  are  in  consequence 
with  difficulty  got  out 2C    0 

Grey  limestones  and  shales  of  a  similar  character 2'i    0 

Grey  limestones  and  shales  of  a  similar  character,  with  the  addition  of 
interstratified  layers  of  conglomerate  limestone  of  two  or  three 
inches  thick,  in  which  the  pebbles  consist  of  grey  limestone  and 
greenish  shale,  and  measure  more  in  the  plain  of  the  beds  than 
transversely  to  them;  the  diameter  of  the  largest  is  about  three 
inches;  the  pebbles  lie  in  a  grey  argillaceous  matrix  13    0 

Grey  limestones,  shales  and  conglomerates  similar  to  the  preceding  beds,  12    G 

Grey  limestones,  shales  and  conglomerates  as  before;  this  part  is  very 

fossiliferous 10     0 

Grey  argillaceous  limestone,  interstratified  with  greenish  argillaceous 

shale (13    0 

Grey  argillaceous  limestone,  and  greenish  argillaceous  shale  similar  to 
the  last,  interstratified  with  beds  of  pure  limestone,  and  of  lime- 
stone conglomerate  8G    0 

Bluish-grey,  hard,  brittle,  argillo-calcareous  bed,  smooth  on  the  surface, 
with  remarkable  impressions  like  the  track  of  some  animal,  consist- 
ing of  two  parallel  rows  of  semi-circular  pits,  each  pit  of  about  half 
an  inch  in  diameter  and  separated  from  the  succeeding  one  about 
a  quarter  of  an  inch,  the  one  row  separated  from  the  other  about 
half  an  inch,  and  so  arranged  that  the  curves  of  the  pits  are  on  the 
outside,  while  the  centre  of  each  pit  is  opposite  the  interrupted  cir- 
cumference of  two  pits  oa  the  other  side;  the  bottoms  of  the  pits  on 


01 


ft.   in. 


opposite  sidos  slopo  away  from  one  another,  leaving  a  species  of  ridgo 
between  them;  llasc  double  rows  of  alternate  pits  ore  usnnlly  from 
about  ten  to  about  eighteen  inches  lon^',  and  are  more  deeply  im- 
pressed at  one  extremity  than  at  the  other;  the  impressions  are  so 
numerous  on  some  parts  of  the  surface  that  scarcely  a  square  yard 
was  without  them "    ^ 


229    0 


th, 
33t 

at 
of 

in. 


0 
0 


0 
G 

0 

0 


The  thickness  al)Ove  given  is  well  exposed  in  tlic  noighbor- 
liood  referred  to,  either  on  the  reef  or  in  the  clilf.  The  strata 
occui)y  a  breadth  of  nearly  a  mile  at  English  Head.  Their 
dip  is  S.;  and  the  slope  231  feet  in  a  mile.  The  lower  beds 
arc  in  tlie  reef  (dry  at  low  water),  which  is  about  half  a  mile 
on  the  outside  of  the  head;  the  highest  beds  are  at  Otter 
or  Indian  Cove,  where  the  streani  from  Marl  Lake  empties 
itself  into  the  sea  over  the  bed  holding  in  such  abundance  the 
imprer^sions  that  have  been  described. 

Following  the  coast  in  an  easterly  direction,  the  measures 
appear  to  coincide  with  it  in  a  general  way  for  nine  miles  to 
the  point  corresponding  with  Macastey  Mountain;  for  here  tho 
Indian  Cove  track-bed  conies  out  on  the  shore  with  a  strike 
N.  55"  E.,  and  is  traceable  to  the  cast  side  of  Macastey  Bay, 
where,  after  showing  a  sinuosity  rudely  conforming  to  the 
shape  of  the  bay,  it  enters  upon  the  land  with  a  strike  S.  84* 
E.,  showing  a  dip  S.  0«  W.Z2.^^ 

Between  this  and  White  Cliff,  which  is  the  next  point  ex- 
amined on  the  coast,  there  is  an  interval  of  fourteen  miles, 
along  which  it  is  probable  the  measures  nearly  coincide  with 
the  o-'cncral  trend  of  the  shore;  for  while  there  is  a  uniformity 
in  the  physical  aspect  of  the  country  facing  the  sea  the  whole 
way,  the  fossils  of  the  cliff  in  a  hundred  feet  of  thickness 
resemble  those  of  English  Head,  and  the  dip  of  the  strata  is 

S.  10  W.Zl^toir- 

The  same  uniformity  of  geographical  aspect  is  preserved  to 
High  Cliff,  six  miles  further,  and  judging  from  the  identity  of 
some  fossils,  the  higher  beds  of  this  division  are  brought  to  the 
shore  on  the  west  side  of  tlie  next  bay,  thougli  the  track-bed 
was  not  seen.  The  dip  is  here  S.  15°  W.,  with  tho  augmented 
slope  of  800  feet  in  a  mile.    This  increased  inclination,  how- 


:■  ■<■■■■> 


t 


ever,  is  maintained  but  for  a  very  short  distance,  and  following 
a  bed  of  siuile  for  a  couple  of  miles,  from  the  west  to  the  cast 
side  of  the  bay,  the  dip  gradually  becomes  S.  4"  W.,  with  a 
slope  of  100  feet  in  a  mile;  and  while  the  lower  beds  were 
observed  to  follow  the  bend  of  the  coast  for  at  least  a  milo 
further,  the  liigher  ones  gained  the  land,  and  were  observed 
about  half  a  mile  from  the  shore  up  Nugg  River,  tlie  position 
of  whicli  is  live  miles  still  further  on,  where  they  display  a  dip 
S.  14*  W.<  from2»  to  2i'-\ 

From  Nugg  River  to  West  Cliff  the  distance  is  nineteen 
miles;  tlie  coast  is  nearly  straight  and  presents  no  new  gco- 
grai)hical  feature.  About  five  miles  before  reaeliing  the  cliff 
there  is  a  lower  one,  exposing  about  eighty  feet,  the  fossils 
of  which  resemble  those  on  the  coast  of  English  Head.  'J'he 
strata  were  seen  presenting  lines  along  the  face  of  the  cliff 
about  parallel  with  high  water  mark,  with  a  slope  of  one  or 
two  degrees  inland.  Approaching  West  Cliff  from  this,  two 
trap  dykes  were  observed  on  the  beach;  one  of  tliem  about 
half  a  mile  west  of  the  cliff,  with  a  l^readth  of  about  twenty 
yards,  was  visible  for  120  yards  in  a  bearing  N.  62''  W.;  the 
other  close  by  the  base  of  the  cliff,  with  a  In-cadth  of  fifty 
yards,  was  seen  for  about  twenty  yards  in  the  bearing  N.  47°  W. 
Both  dykes  were  composed  of  fine-grained  greenstone,  with 
whitish  feldspar  and  black  hornl)lende,  and  neitlier  of  tliem 
appeared  to  produce  any  disturbance  of  the  l)eds;  but  at  tlie 
time  of  observation  the  sea  was  close  upon  them,  and  it  was 
not  easy  to  determine  much  with  accuracy.  The  fossils  of  the 
cliff  in  Avhich  there  are  130  feet  of  strata  supposed  to  belong  to 
this  division,  resemble  those  of  English  Head  in  species  and  in 
grouping,  and  on  the  east  side  of  the  cliff  the  dip  was  deter- 
mined to  be  S.  17°  W.  Zl''  or  1.^°. 

Three  miles  further  east,  beds  of  the  same  general  charnctor 
become  exposed  in  cliffs  of  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  hiuh,  and 
in  their  associated  reefs,  and  were  several  times  repeated  with 
no  observed  deviation  between  the  strike  and  the  general  trend 
of  the  coast,  to  Charleton  Point,  a,  distance  of  six  miles  more, 
where  the  dip  was  ascertained  to  be  S.  IS*-'  W.  Z  P. 

At  (;harleton  Point  some  of  the  beds  are  crowded  with  fos- 
sils standing  out  in  bold  relief  on  the  weathered  surfaces,  and 


m' 


K 


03 

well  defmod  forma  nlso  wore  obtained  from  tlio  debris  of  iho 
clilT.  Of  these,  six  or  seven  si)eeies  arc  the  same  as  species 
obtained  at  Englisii  Head,  but  there  arc  many  that  are  difl'er- 
cut.  The  same  l)cds  are  repeated  at  Spruce  Point,  about  tlireo 
miles  further  east,  and  twice  more  at  points  in  the  six  succeed- 
ing? miles,  in  which  there  appears  to  be  little  or  no  chan<r<'  of 
the  dii).  This  is  to  the  west  horn  of  01)Servation  Bay,  and 
crossing  tliis  bay  to  the  east  horn,  which  is  Observation  Clifif, 
we  find  at  the  very  base  of  it  a  bed  of  exactly  the  same  litho- 
logical  character,  and  presenting  on  its  surface  the  same 
peculiar  impressions  as  those  at  Otter  or  Indian  Cove.  The 
dip  at  this  spot  is  S.  13-  W.  Z  1',  and  the  strike  from  it  west- 
ward would  Ijring  the  bed  a  little  within  the  western  horn,  the 
distance  being  six   miles,  but  the   track-bed  was  not  there 

detected. 

The  distance  from  Indian    Cove   to   Observation  Cliff  is 
eighty-two  miles,  and  the  bearing  in  a  straight  line  S.  81"  E. 
At  every  point  examined  in  the  whole  distance,  the  beds  vary 
but  little  in  their  lithological  cliaraeters  from  those  given  in 
the  detailed  section  at  English  Head.    This  fact,  however,  is 
not  of  much  value  in  estal)Hshing  the  stratagraphical  equiva- 
lence, as  beds  not  much  differing  from  these  arc  met  within  in 
the  succeeding  division.     Nor  for  the  same  reason  can  the  gen- 
eral resemblance  of  the  fossils  be  insisted  on,  for  although 
there  are  five  or  six  well  known  Lower  Silurian  species  at  all 
the  points,  there  are  other  well  known  Lower  Silurian  species 
that  arc  present  at  some  points  and  absent  at  others,  while 
there  are  nmny  species  which  I  have  for  the  first  time  seen, 
some  belonging  to  the  whole  distance,  and  some,  as  far  as  yet 
known,  peculiar  to  different  ])oints,  and  nearly  all  the  species 
ascend  to  the  succeeding  division.     The  whole  means  of  estab- 
lishing the  eciuivalence  of  the  strata  are  thus  reduced  to  the 
strike  and  the  track-bed,  which  1  conceive  to  be  one  and  the 
same  bed  at  both  extremes  of  the  line;  for  while  it  comes  upon 
the  coast  in  three  places,  just  about  where  it  ought  to  do  in 
order  to  be  in  conformity  with  the  strike,  it  is  accompanied  in 
each   case  by  a  bed   immediately   below  containing  Atryjoa 
erratlea  of  Hall,  and   a   new  species  of  Cypricardia,  about 
eif-hty  or  ninety  feet  above,  which  was  found  nowhere  else.    I 


64 

have,  thoroforo,  ventured  to  make  the  bed  a  stratairraphical 
station  in  the  superposition  of  the  beds,  ami  to  consider  that 
the  western  eighty-two  miles  of  the  north  coast  of  the  island 
belong  to  Division  A. 


■  ¥^ 


i 


Division  B. 

The  rocks  which  succeed  the  traek-bcd  at  Indian  Cove,  and 
extend  to  what  I  have  previously  called  Junction  Cliff,  situated 
three  miles  and  a  half  west  of  Ellis  Bay,  compose  the  next 
division.     They  are  in  ascending  order  as  follows: 

ft.  in» 
Bluish-grey  somewhat  argillaceous  limestone  in  hard  and  compact 
iK'ds  of  from  three  to  six  inches  thick,  intorstrutifit  d  with  parting's 
of  greenish  shale;  towards  the  top  there  arc  thii.  bands  of  li^ht 
reddish-grey  limestone,  rather  purer  than  those  b°low;  some  of 
the  beds  contain  fragments  of  trilobitcs  and  other  fossils  of  wlii eh 
it  is  ditHcult  to  procure  good  specimens  from  the  hardness  of  the 

rock;  the  surfaces  of  some  of  the  beds  show  fucoids 50    0 

Grey  limestf^ne  beds  of  from  three  to  six  inches  with  shale  partings 
between,  much  like  the  preceding  in  character;  the  top  bed  con- 
tains numerous  beautiful  specimens  of  corals  of  a  pure  yellowish- 
white  color  standing  out  in  relief  on  the  surface 5    0 

Reddish-grey  limestone  in  thin  beds,  holding  at  the  top  a  character- 
istic fossil,  wliich  appears  to  ba  a  now  species  of  (!ijpy'u"it'iVi'( 20    0 

Reddish-grey  liaiestone  beds  with  thin  greenish  shale  partings,  inter- 
stratitied  at  intervals  of  from  three  to  ten  feet  with  beds  of  from 
three  to  six  inches,  consisting  of  conglomerate,  the  pebbles  of 
which  are  composed  of  grey  limestone,  and  are  of  various  sizes 
up  to  three  inches  in  diameter,  lying  flat  in  the  bed  in  a  matrix  of 
grey  limestone;  many  fragments  of  trilobitcs  are  met  with  in  the 

deposit  with  other  fossils 2-')    0 

Reddish-grey  limestones,  conglomerates  and  shale  partings  as  before.     Ki    0 
Reddish-grey  limestones,  conglomerates  and  shale  partings  as  before.     72     0 
Reddish-grey  limestones  in  beds  of  from  six  to  ten  inches,  interstrati- 
fied  with  conglomerates  as  before;  among  other  organic  remains 
these  beds  contain  in  some  abundance  a  tree-like  species  of  fossil 
■with  a  rough,  wrinkled,  or  nodular  exterior  resembling  some  kinds 
of  bark,  and  an  irregularly  chambered  tube  in  the  centre  with 
curved  septa;  around  the  tube,  the  chambers  of  which  are  empty, 
there  are  arranged  numerous  concentric   layers;    the  whole  of 
the  fossil,  including  the  septa,  is  composed  of  a  yellowish-white 
carbonate  of  lime,  crystals,  of  M'hich,  in  the  form  of  dog-tooth 
spar,  stand   out  from   the   walls  of  some  of  the  chambers;    the 
concentric  layers  are  in  some  cases  partially  separated,  and  the 
exterior  sometimes  shows  that  into  such  spaces  the  exterior  coat- 
ing of  the  fossil  has  been  squeezed  down,  after  being  broken; 


■-,  I 


05 


fl.  in. 
tlioKc  fo^;'•:^3  are  of  vnrloiiH  sizt's  from  tlirrc  to  seven  inches  in  di- 
ameter, iind  one  of  tbcin  of  about  six  indies  in  (liiinieter  Hhowed 
a  lens^tli  of  five  feet;  they  all  lie  prostmto  in  the  beds.  In  addition 
to  these  tree-like  fossils  there  are  corals  of  tlio  same  yellowish- 
white  color  in  considerable  abundance,  with  other  fo>Kils 102     (' 

Grey  limestones,  conglomerates  and  shale  partings  wilh  similar 
fossils;  a  bed  at  the  top  contains  heads  of  eucrinites  in  some 
abundance 82    0 

Grey  limestones,  conglomerates  and  shale  partings  with  fossils  as  be- 
fore    o'3    0 

Grey  limestones,  conKlomerati's  and  shale  partings  as  V)efore,  and  in 
addition  to  the  tree-like  lossil,  corals  and  other  organic  remains, 
a  considerable  number  of  orthoceratites  are  present,  but  the  hard 
nature  of  the  beds  in  which  they  generally  occur  makes  it  difficult 
to  got  them  out  in  a  good  state  of  ])reservation 01    0 

Grey  limestones,  conglomerates  and  shale  partings;  in  addition  to 
the  fossils  previously  mentioned,  there  is  a  greater  abundance  of 
spiral  shells,  chiefly  Jhi)rliis(»u((,  than  in  any  of  the  beds  lower 
down Kl.j    0 

Measures  concealed:  the  shingle  on  the  beach  is  largely  made  up  of 
aruillo-arenuceoTis  shale  of  a  greenish  tinge  mingled  with  worn 
friigments  of  grey  limestone;  from  the  fact  that  this  arenaceous 
shale  did  not  occur  at  other  parts  of  the  beach,  and  from  its  easily 
destructible  character,  it  is  probable  that  the  beds  from  which  it 
was  derived  constitute  a  considerable  part  of  the  measures  con- 
cealed      DG    0 

730    0 


The  distance  wliicli  litis  division  occupies  Letween  Indian 
Cove  and  Jiniction  Clitl"  at  the  west  end  of  the  island  is  very 
nearly  seven  miles.  At  the  cove  tlie  dip  is  S.  G*^  "W.,  at  West 
EndLighthou.~e,  S.  10*^  W.,  half-way  between  this  and  Junction 
Cliff  S.  lU'^  W.;  the  average  is  about  8.  11»  W.,  and  the 
breadth  across  the  division  in  this  direction  is  three  miles 
and  four-fifths,  which  would  give  an  average  slope  of  190  feet 
in  a  mile. 

From  the  position  of  the  track-bed  in  Macastey  Bay,  the 
whole  height  of  Macastey  Mountain,  400  feet,  would  l)elong  to 
this  division,  as  would  probably  all  the  inland  elevations  visi. 
bio  from  the  sea  as  far  as  Charleton  Point.  The  first  coast 
cliff  belonging  to  it  in  this  direction  is  Observation  Cliff, 
where  350  feet  of  the  base  of  the  division  rise  at  once  from 
the  sea. 

,  5  . 


4 


The  dip  at  the  base  of  ObserVcation  Cliff,  as  has  already  been 
stated,  is  S.  13°  W.<P;  at  the  second  cliff  beyond,  it  is  S.  23=' 
W.<ir;  and  at  the  third  S.  IB*  W.<U°;  the  distance  of  the 
last  from  Observation  Cliff  bcnng  about  four  miles,  and  the 
strike  of  the  measures  along  the  coast,  as  deduced  from  the 
above,  would  carry  the  track-bed  out  in  front  of  the  third  cliff 
a  little  more  than  a  mile,  while  the  average  slope  would  place 
it  about  100  feet  below  its  base.  In  the  third  cliff  there  is  a 
height  of  250  feet;  so  that  its  summit  would  probably  not  show 
any  beds  higher  than  those  of  Observation  Cliff.  The  distance 
to  the  next  point  is  about  two  miles  and  a  half,  and  the  strike 
bears  very  nearly  for  it;  as  the  measures  gradually  diminish  in 
inclination  towards  Guy  Point,  which  is  about  the  same  dis- 
tance further  on,  and  then  become  quite  flat,  it  is  probable  that 
the  base  of  this  cliff  is  not  over  twenty  feet  further  in  vertical 
height  from  the  track-bed  than  the  base  of  the  cliff  mentioned 
before. 

Guy  Point  has  a  height  of  about  200  feet;  its  summit  there- 
fore will  scarcely  reach  so  high  in  the  stratification  as  that  of 
Observation  Cliff.  The  horizontality  of  the  stratification  in 
Guy  Point  may  extend  about  half  a  mile  at  right  angles  to  the 
general  strike  further  west,  and  would  carry  the  ?amc  beds 
that  are  at  its  base  to  the  base  of  the  next  cliff  eastward,  and  this 
would  not  bring  in  a  greater  amount  of  additional  strata  than 
perhaps  tbirt\  eet  in  the  bight  of  Bear  Bay  beyond.  The  base 
of  the  cliff  leading  to  Bear  Ilead  would  thus  be  about  150  feet 
over  the  track-bed. 

From  Bear  Head  the  coast  takes  a  turn  more  across  the 
stratification.  The  dip  at  the  head  is  S.  H''  W.,  and  the  in- 
clination, as  determined  by  tracing  a  bed  round  into  the  suc- 
ceeding cove,  is  seventy  feet  in  a  mile,  which  would  be  the 
amount  gained  upon  the  strata  at  the  base  of  the  next  point. 
It  would  require  another  mile  across  the  strata  to  reach  the 
l)ase  of  the  next  cliff,  which  is  ToAver  Point,  and  about  half  a 
mile  to  reach  a  position  in  White  Bay  beyond,  Avhich  would  be 
in  the  strike  of  the  most  northern  point  of  Cape  Robert;  but  in 
this  mile  and  a  half  the  inclination  increases  to  probably  100 
foet  in  a  mile,  so  that  the  base  of  Cape  Rol)ert  would  be  about 
370  feet  above  the  track-bed. 


m 


The  dip  at  Cape  Robert  is  S.  Vi^  WXlj-^,  while  that  ol 
Capo  Henry,  about  three  miles  and  a  half  further  on,  is  S.  23" 
W.<1;[®,  and  the  base  of  Cape  Henry  would  prol)ably  bo 
thirty  feet  higher,  making  o,bout  400  feet  above  the  track-bed. 
At  the  base  of  Cape  Henry  were  met  with  the  first  oljserved 
examples  going  eastward  along  the  coast  of  the  tree-like  fossil? 
occurring  188  feet  above  the  track-bed  at  '  o  west  end  of  the 
island;  but  as  tl  "-  vertical  distance  at  Capo  Henry  would 
thus  be  more  than  tv  3e  as  great,  it  is  not  improbaljle  that  ex- 
amples of  the  fossil  L.uiy  yet  be  found  further  west. 

Cape  Henry  has  a  vertical  f;:^o  of  about  300  feet,  tiie  whole 
of  which  apj)eared  to  be  calcareous;  the  summit  of  the  cliff 
would  thus  be  about  700  feet  above  the  track-bed.  Crossing 
the  moutli  of  Salmon  River  to  Battery  Point,  the  next  in  suc- 
cession to  Cape  Henry,  a  vertical  cliff  of  about  sixty  feet  in 
height  i>resents  itself,  in  which  the  prostrate  forms  of  the  tree- 
like fossil  protrude  Irom  the  cliff  in  tiers,  each  fossil  presoutiDg 
a  circular  extremity,  with  an  orilice  in  the  centre,  giving  to 
the  cliff  the  aspect  of  a  battery  of  guns,  which  has  led  to 
its  name. 

In  the  bight  of  a  cove,  about  two  miles  east  of  Battery  Point, 
the  limestones  are  followed  by  arenaceous  shales,  and  the  next 
point,  Ca})e  Joseph,  whicli  presents  a  clilT  of  180  feet  in  height 
is  probaldy  crowned  with  them,  as  in  the  bight  of  tlio  cove  be» 
yond  some  sandstones,  which  1  could  not  approach  the  coast  to 
visit,  give  to  a  cliff  the  name  of  Grindstone  Ga])e.  Tliese  sand- 
stones must  run  along  the  coast  for  about  live  milcs^,  composing 
part  of  the  face  of  Cape  James  in  their  course,  and  coming  to 
the  level  of  the  water  in  Prinsta  Bay;  they  then  strike  across 
this  bay  and  run  round  the  lower  part  of  Table  Head,  where 
they  exhibit  a  thickness  of  about  fifty  feet.  The  sandstones 
then  sink  beneath  the  level  of  the  water  with  a  dip  S.  10° 
W.<2",  presenting  the  following  section  in  ascending  order: 


>". 


Qreeuisli-grey,  thiu  bedded,  fine  grained  saudstone,  with  black  and 
brown  mica  between  the  laj'ers;  the  rock  is  slightly  calcai-o&us. . 

Greouish-grey,  tine  grained,  slightly  calcareous  sandstone  in  thin 
beds 

Greeuish-groy,  tine  grained,  slightly  calcareous  sandslouo,  with  brown 
liud  black  mica  between  the  laj'ers ,  which  are  from  three  to  ten 


ft.  in 
7  C 
G    0 


68 


•I 


ft.  in, 
inches  in  thickness;  one  bed  of  from  seven  to  ten  inches  thick,  is 
fres  grained,  wonhl  make  a  good  building  stone,  and  might 
probably  be  fit  for  grindstones •       ^    ^ 

Greenish-^rev,  fine  grained,  thin  bedded  and  slightly  calcareom  sand- 
stone,"iuterstratified  with  layers  of  from  three  to  six  inches  thick, 
more  calcareoiis  from  the  presence  of  fossils,  chietly  convoluted 
shells  which  are  mixed  up  with  small  pebbles  of  white  and  green 

.        quartz,  some  as  large  as  beans,  as  well  as  a  few  grains  of  blood- 

red  jasper;  mica  is  present  between  the  layers 2^ 

Greenish-grey,  fine  grained  sandstone,  with  fossiliferous  coarse  grained       ^ 
layers  as  before • ■.■*"■,■■'■ 

Greenish-grey,  fine  grained,  slightly  calcareous  sandstone  m  beds  ot 
one  and  two  feet,  which  in  some  parts  run  into  thm  slabs,  showing 

fossils  on  their  surface 

53    3 


^ 


The  last  of  these  beds  would  Ijc  about  750  feet  above  the 
track-bed,  and  the  ^vhole  of  them  probably  correspond  with  the 
supposed  arenaceous  beds  of  the  west  end  section.  Division  B 
would  thus  appear  to  occupy  about  forty  miles  of  the  coast, 
with  the  exception  of  about  two  miles  in  the  biglit  of  Prinsta 
Bay,  which  is  comprehended  iu  the  succeeding  one. 


];, 


Division  C. 

Continuing  the  sequence  of  the  beds  at  the  west  end,  where 
the  previous  division  ended  near  Junction  Clift",  the  following 
constitutes  the  succeeding  division  in  ascending  order: 

ft.  in. 

Greenish  argillo-arenaceous  shale 1    0 

Greenish  urgillo-arenaceous  shale,  interstratified  with  beds  of  grey 
limestone  of  from  one  to  three  inches  thick;  in  a  two  inch  bed,  a 
new  species  of  Ziof/w^f  was  observed  in  abundance;   in  another 

encrinites  were  numerous,  with  other  organic  remains 1     6 

Yellowish-grey,  compact,  argillaceous  limestone,  with  few  observed 

fossils". ^^    ^ 

Yellowish-grey,  compact  argillaceous  limestone,  interstratified  with 
light  reddish-grey  limestone  beds  of  from  one  to  three  inches 
thick,  the  surfaces  of  which  are  covered  with  a  new  species  of 
Orlhi's,  (0.  Lmiraniim)  and  other  fossils;  among  the  debris  of 
these  beds  many  beautiful  detached  brnchiopoda  ( Orihls  suh- 
qnadvala  and  others)  are  met  with,  with  spiral  univalves 
(Mnrchisonia);  these  are  the  upper  beds  of  Junction  Cliff 20    0 


69 


0 
G 

9 
3 


ft.  in. 
Measures  partly  concealed,  but  supposed  to  be  of  the  same  cliar- 
actcr  as  the  preceding,   both  lithologically  aud  pakeoutologi- 

cally • 25    0 

Ash-grey  argillaceous  limestone,  in  beds  of  from  one  to  three  inches 
thick,  alternating  with  calcareo-argillaceous  shale  beds  of  from 
five  to  seven  inches;  and  these  two  descriptions  of  beds  again  in- 
terstratified  with  light-groy  pure   limestone  beds  of  one  or  two 

inches;  no  fossils  were  observed  in  this  part G    0 

Aeh-grey  argillaceous  limestones  and  shales,  interstratifiod  as  before 
with  purer  limestones;  these  beds  contain  a  new  species  of  reala- 
merus  (F.  reversus ),  with,  several  gasteropoda  and  brachiopoda, 
some  of  which  are  new,  aud  Jllri/pa  marcjinuUs,  for  the  first  time, 
I  believe,  met  with  on  this  continent;  all  the  species  are  found 
preserved  in  the  debris  and  quite  detached,  as  well  as  standing 
ou^  in  good  relief  on  small  slabs,  about  one  mile  east  of  Junction 

Cliff 20     0 

Ash-grey  argillaceous  limestones  and  shales,  with  purer  limestones  as 
before,  but  the  fossils  noi,  so  well  preserved,  from  the  beds  being 

exposed  to  the  action  of  the  sea 10    0 

Measures  concealed  '     " 

Ash-grey  argillaceous  limestones  and  sliales,  with  purer  limestones  as 
before,  the  fossils  not  so  well  preserved  in  consequence  of  the  ac- 
tion of  the  sea;  this  is  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Junction  Cliff. .     24    0 

Measures  concealed "^0    U 

Light  yellowish-grey  even  bedded  limestone,  in  beds  of  half  an  inch 
aud  two  inches,  characterized  by  Lepioma  suhplana  in  abundance, 
and  one  or  two  instances  of  a  small  Ati-ypa  probably  undescribed, 

all  occuring  principally  between  the  layers 3     G 

Grey  argillaceous  limestone -      5    0 

Yellowish-white  coral  limestone,  the  corals  of  which  consist  chiefly  of 
four  genera:  Clurkies,  FavosUes,  HdioUles,  and  Caleniporei,  and  they 
are  aggregated  in  hummocky  masses,  often  composing  one-half  or 
three-quarters  of  the  thickness,  being  from  one  to  three  feet,  both 
horizontally  and  vertically,  and  in  some  instances  six  feet 
horizontally.  They  are  surrounded  ydth  an  ash-grey  argil- 
laceous limestone,  and  cause  the  overlying  bed,  conforming  to 
the  hummocks,  to  have  the  appearance  of  slightly  undulating 

strata ^    ^ 

The  last  bed  occurs  at  Point  Laframboise,  and  the  overlying 
strata  being  less  extensively  developed  there  than  to  the  eastward, 
the  coral  bed  was  searched  for  in  Ellis  bay,  and  found  nearly  two 
miles  to  the  east  on  the  strike,  at  Cape  Henry,  which  is  the  west 
liorn  of  Ellis  Bay,  and  again  at  Cape  Eagle,  the  east  horn,  two 
miles  still  further  on  the  strike.     The  measures  below  in  ascend- 
ing order,  being  the  e<piivalenls  of  a  part  of  those  at  Point  La- 
framboise,  are  as  follows: 
Grey  limestone,  interstratified  with  grey  calcareo-argillaceous 
shale,   sometimes  of  a  greenish  color,   the  lowest  bed 


70 


/;.  in. 

cbaracterizeU  by  a  new  species  of  Jlnrchisonla  (M.  maosa). 
and  tlie  tree-like  fossil  which  hns  been  described  as  ex- 
isting ill  the  previous  ilivisioii.  This  fossil  is  here  of  larger 
size  than  before  observed;  one  specimen  now  in  the  mu- 
seum of  the  Survey  is  ten  and  a  half  feet  long,  six  inches 
in  diameter  at  the  larger  end.  and  but  an  inch  or  so  less  at 
the  other.  Some  of  the  fragments  of  others  obtained  were 
found  to  be  ten  and  even  fifteen  inches  in  diameter,  and  if 
the  length  were  proportionate  must,  when  whole,  have 
been  probably  over  thirty  feet  i.'  length 12    0 

Light  yellowish-grey  limestone,  in  beds  of  from  half  an  inch 
to  two  inches  thick,  with  occivsional  partings  of  calcju-eo- 
argillaccous  shale  and  abundance  of  Leptanui  suhplana, 
and  two  small  species  of  Alrifpci 5    0 

YeDowish  coral  limestone  bed,  as  before 5    0 

22  0 
The  measures  above  the  coral  bed,  in  continuation  of  the  section, 
are  as  follows: 

Grey  limestone,  with  argillaceous  partings;  these  beds  were  not  con- 
tinuously examined,  but  the  fossils  of  some  of  the  beds  were 
Strophomena  deprensa,  Lcptcvna  subjdanu,  AmbonycMa  radkdn,  and 
some  undescrlbed  species C2    0 

Grey  compact  argillo-calcareous  beds,  slightly  bituminous,  interstrat- 
ified  with  ixi'gillaceous  shales;  but  few  fossils  were  observed,  and 
such  as  -were  seen  were  obsciu-e;  these  beds  form  Beai*  Head 42    0 

Measures  supposed  to  bo  similar  to  the  last,  but  not  thoroughly  exam- 
ined       ^    ^ 

30G    6 


The  dip  of  these  beds  at  Junction  Cliff  is  S.  13°  W.;  one 
mile  to  tlic  east  of  it,  S.  10'^  W.;  at  White  Cliff,  Ellis  Bay,  S. 
40  W.;  at  Cape  Eagle,  S.  18°  W.;  at  Bear  Point,  8.  21^  W. 
The  average  of  these  would  be  about  S.  13**  W.;  the  inclina- 
tion is  a  little  over  100  feet  in  a  mile,  and  the  dii-ect  distance 
across  the  strata  is  three  miles.  The  distance  along  the  coast 
occupied  by  the  division  extending  from  Junction  Cliff  to  Long 
Point  is  about  eight  miles  and  a  quarter. 

This  division  as  a  whole  appears  to  be  softer  than  the  pre- 
ceding ones;  it  offers  no  very  remarkable  cliffs  along  the  coast 
on  the  south  side,  while  Ellis  or  Gamache  Bay  is  worn  out  of 
it  as  well  as  a  depression  holding  Gamache  Lake  and  the  creek 
which  empties  it  at  the  head  of  the  bay. 


71 


On  the  north  coaf^t  the  rocks  of  the  division  are  met  Avith  in 
the  cast  part  of  Cape  James,  and  in  the  bight  of  Prinsta  Bay, 
Avhoro  they  succeed  tlie  sandstones  which  have  been  mentioned, 
and  occupy  nearly  two  miles  of  the  coast.  In  their  outcro]) 
further  eastward  they  crown  Table  Head  and  come  to  l.ic  level 
of  the  water  on  the  cast  side  of  it. 

The  following  is  a  section  of  the  base  of  the  division  at  this 
spot  in  ascending  order,  as  it  rests  upon  the  sandstones  of  which 
a  section  was  given  in  the  preceding  division: 

Grey  limestone  in  even  beds G    D 

Grey  limestone  filled  with  several  genera  of  corals  of  a  yellowish-white 

color ^    ^ 

Grey  shale  and  limestone  in  patches,  interlocking  in  such  a  manner 

as  to  make  the  bedding  obscure;  no  fossils  were  observed 0     i'< 

Grey  thiu-bodded  fo?siliferons  limestone,  with  interstratified  sliale..       8     0 

Grey  limestone,  with  yellowish- white  corals 2     (! 

Grey  yellow-weathering  limestone,  with  yellowish- white  corals 1     0 

Grey  limestone  in  thin  beds,  with  thin  beds  of  argillo-arenaceous 

shale  slightly  calcareous 9     0 

Grey  arenaceous  limestone,  with  small  scales  of  brown  mica  dissemi- 
nated through  it;  at  the  base  it  has  a  mamillated  hnmmocky 
character,  the  layers  in  succession  getting  thicker  and  thicker  in 
the  centre  or  the  hummocks,  which  are  from  three  inches  to  three 
feet  in  diameter:  the  whole  bed  thins  down  to  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
in  about  aquarter  of  a  mile  on  the  strike;  and  then  thickens  again 
further  on,  and  this  appears  to  be  repeated  more  than  once  in  the 
dip  and  rise  as  well  as  the  strike;  the  layers  split  away  from  one 
another  in  smooth  curved  forms,  but  the  exterior  of  the  hummocks 
is  rough,  being  marked  with  small  parallel  ridges  for  short  dis- 
tances, and  studded  with  fossils 3     (5 

Greenish-colored  shale,  interstratified  witJi  thin  beds  of  grey  lime- 
stone       ^^    '^ 

Grey  calcareo-argillaceous  shale  with  limestone  crowded  with  corals 
and  the  tree-like  fossils  heretofore  described.  Both  of  these  kinds 
of  organic  remains  are  so  numerous  and  so  confusedly  mixed  as  to 
give  to  the  whole  mass  at  a  little  distance  the  aspect  of  a  breccia, 
and  it  can  in  consequence  be  traced  easily  by  the  eye  in  the  face 
of  the  cliff  round  Table  Head,  as  well  as  round  Cape  James,  for  a 
distance  of  six  miles  on  the  strike 14    0 

Grey  compact  argillaceous  limestone,  interstratified  with  beds  of  purer 
limestone  of  a  lighter  color,  which  are,  however,  in  some  parts 
slightly  arenaceous  Numerous  fossils  were  observed  in  the  mass, 
but  they  were  for  the  most  part  obscure.  At  the  base  there  were 
Marchlsona;  of  eight  or  even  ten  inches  long;  C'atenipom  occurred 
and  Atrypa  naviformis  was  among  the  fossils;  about  the  top  of 


i 


- .'  :** 


ft.  in. 
the  mass  Leptama  suhplana  was  in  some  abundance.    A  fine  col- 
lection of  fossils  from  this  deposit  was  unfortimately  left  behind 
by  the  boatmen 110    0 

181     6 

The  rocks  of  this  section  roacli  the  position  of  tlio  old  provi- 
sion post  at  Fox  River;  between  the  provision  post  and  the 
foot  of  an  escarpment  south  of  the  lagoon  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  the  distance  is  about  a  furlong  over  a  mile,  across  the 
strata,  and  the  dip  of  the  measures  is  S.  18*^  W.,  with  a  slope 
of  100  feet  in  a  mile.  This  would  add  to  the  section  about  1 15 
feet,  which  are  concealed  under  the  river  and  lagoon,  making 
the  whole  thickness  296  feet. 

As  is  the  case  in  the  neigh])orhood  of  Ellis  Bay,  the  cliffs 
composed  of  the  rocks  of  this  division  at  Fox  Kiver  are  low, 
not  exceeding  thirty  or  forty  feet,  and  the  deep  excavation  form- 
ing the  harl)or  is  another  feature  which  the  two  extremities  of 
the  deposit  have  in  common. 

The  escarpment  which  limits  the  division  south  of  the  lagoon 
comes  out  upon  the  coast  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  beyond 
Reef  Point,  the  eastern  horn  of  Fox  Bay,  and  tlie  division  would 
thus  occupy  a  distance  along  the  coast  from  Table  Head  of  up- 
ward of  seven  miles. 


Division  D. 

Immediately  overlying  the  upper  beds  of  the  last  division, 
as  given  in  the  section  in  the  neighborhood  of  Ellis  Bay,  there 
occar  at  Long  Point  about  twenty  feet  of  light  grey  limestone, 
in  beds  of  from  two  to  six  inches,  many  of  wliicli  are  crowded 
with  another  new  species  of  Fentamerus  (F.  Barrandi,)  with 
but  few  othc;  fossils,  and  these  beds  aitornato  with  others 
holding  Lcptoina  suhplana,  but  in  less  abundance,  a  few  individ- 
uals of  Fentamerus  being  associated  wilii  Hiem.  The  di[)  of 
the  moa-ures  is  here  S.  21^'  W.,  with  an  inclinjMiGU  of  120  feet 
in  a  mile.  The  strike  of  the  base  of  the<-^c  measures  would 
carry  us  to  the  mouth  of  Duck  River,  and  we  accordingly 
have  there  a  repetition  of  them  in  thickness  and  in  average 
dip. 


\l 


'  \ 


.   t: 


78 


# 


Similar  beds  aro  tracealilo  to  Wall's  Covo,  and  hero  by 
moans  of  the  rcct',  a  thickness  of  fcjrty-fivc  feet  of  the  i^amc 
character  can  be  verified,  resting  upon  strata  com])08ing  a  low 
clitr  lininu'  the  bight  of  the  bay;  as  they  contained  no  observed 
fossils,  they  were  supjioscd  to  form  the  summit  of  the  previous 
division.  In  Wall's  Covo,  while  the  strata  of  Division  D  are 
as  much  crowded  as  before  with  Fenlnnwrns,  the  specimens 
obtained  an-  of  a  more  perfect  description,  and  a  few  corals 
are  mintr'^d  with  them.  From  Wall's  Cove  the  strike  and 
strata  coincide  all  the  way  to  Becscie  River,  and  here  on  the 
reef  the  thickness  oT  similar  strata  that  were  examined  amounts 
to  ninety-eight  feet,  resting,  as  in  the  case  of  Wall's  Govt,  upon 
beds  of  the  division  C,  occurring  at  the  river's  mouth.  The 
dip  at  Becscie  Biver  is  H.  22"  AV.,  with  a  slope  of  120  feet  in  a 
mile;  the  coast  oast  of  the  river  is  low,  and  coincides  Avith  the 
strike  corresponding  with  the  dip  given,  as  far  as  St.  Mary's 
River.  Beyond  this  tliore  are  clifl's,  but  they  are  composed  of 
clay  mixed  with  limestone  gravel,  and  extend  to  St.  Ann's 
Cove,  the  margin  of  wliich  is  low  and  destitute  of  rocks  as  far 
as  the  point  west  of  Otter  River. 

At  Otter  River  the  iieniamenis  beds  are  again  scon,  and  as 
the  dip  is  there  S.  40"  W.,  with  a  e\o\)g  much  the  same  as 
l)efore,  it  is  probable  the  strike  would  nearly  coincide  with  the 
westward  run  of  the  coast  to  St.  Mary's  River.  It  is  thus 
probable  that  those  beds  are  equivalent  to  a  part  of  tlio  Otter 
River  section;  but  between  these  beds  and  t!io  next  that  arc 
scon,  loss  than  a  mile  to  the  eastward  of  Otter  River,  there 
would  bo  an  Interval  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  across  the 
stratification,  which  would  give  room  for  thirty  feet  of  strata; 
but  whether  this  is  to  1)C  considered  a  part  of  the  ninety-eight 
feet  measured  at  Ottor  River,  or  an  addition  to  it,  I  am  unable 
to  say.  The  examination  on  the  reef  at  Otter  River  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  rise  of  the  tide  before  we  could  ascertain  the 
character  of  all  the  strata  wliich  had  been  exposed  at  low 
Avater,  and  as  wo  had  not  arrived  at  any  beds  limiting  the  up- 
ward occurrence  of  the  Pcntamerus,  the  whole  thickness  char- 
acterized by  its  abundance  may  exceed  what  I  have  stateil.  In 
the  ninety-eight  feet,  a  few  fee  vere  allowed  for  what  was 
seen  in  the  rising  water  in  front  oi  me;  if,  however,  the  whole 


{     s,a 


;•■' 


74 

thickness  bo  called  a  hundred  feet,  and  the  beds  in  the  first 
exposure  east  of  Otter  River  be  added  to  it,  the  following  will 

be  the  section  from  the  base,  in  ai^ccnding  order: 

ft.  In, 

Ash-grey  and  light  reddish-grey  limestones,  in  beds  of  from  two  to  si:, 
inches  thick,  interstratified  in  the  upper  part  with  conglomerate 
beds  of  the  same  thickness,  at  intervals  of  from  two  to  ten  feet; 
the  pebbles  of  these  are  calcareous,  with  a  diameter  of  from  ono 
to  three  inches,  and  lie  Hat  in  the  beds;  a  vast  number  of  the  beds 
are  crowded  with  renUimerus  Burmndi;  with  this,  however,  in 
some  beds  are  associated  two  or  three  species  of  corals,  and  the 
FentameniH  layers  are  interstratified  with  others  that  show  great 
numbers  of  LepUvna  /iuhplana,  and  other  fossils 100    0 

Dark  ash-grey,  slightly  bituminous  limestone,  in  beds  oi  from  two  to 
six  inches,  with  calcareo-argillaceous  partings,  weathering  light 
oranj,3-brown;  conglomerate  layers  with  limestone  pebbles  occur 
at  irregular  intervals;  the  lowest  six  feet  are  characterized  by  the 
occurrence  in  some  abundo.nce  of  a  new  species  of  Atnipn,  and 
Strophomena  aliernata  is  frequent  in  the  cleposit.  with  Ortlds  and 
other  fossils 20    G 

Dark  ash-grej',  slightly  bituminous  limestone,  with  calcareo-argilla- 
ceous partings,  weathering  light  orange-brown,  similar  to  the  pre- 
ceding       ■'*    " 

Dark  ash-grey  slightly  bituminous  limestone,  as  before,  witL  but  few 

fossils 3G    0 

Eeddish-grey  limestone,  in  beds  of  from  one  quarter  of  an  inch  to 
three  inches,  some  of  which  weather  to  a  reddish-brown,  inter- 
stratified with  occasional  conglomerate  layers  of  from  two  to  four 
inches  thick;  some  beds  at  the  base  of  the  deposit  are  character- 
ized by  a  species  of  Syrbujopora,  resembling  N.  hifarcaUi,  and  by 
deep  serpentining  grooves  of  about  a  (quarter  of  an  inch  wide,  with 
raised  edges,  apparently  marking  the  track  of  some  species  of 
moUusk;  other  fossils  occur  in  other  parts,  and  the  middle  of  the 
deposit  is  marked  by  the  presence  of  Slvophomena  aliernata  in  con- 
siderable numbers 43    0 

Reddish-grey  limestone,  weathering  reddish-brown,  in  beds  of  from 
one  to  three  inches,  interstratified  with  occasional  conglomerate 
beds  of  from  three  to  six  inches  thiclc.  Among  the  fossils  wliich 
are  met  with  are  Strophomena  and  Favosites 30    0 

2G1    0 


The  last  164  feet  of  the  previous  section  arc  ascertained  by 
actual  measurement  of  the  beds  as  they  accumulate  on  one 
ano titer,  going  east  along  the  coast  for  about  two  miles,  in  a 
direction  oblique  to  the  stratification.  The  dip  at  the  com. 
mencemcnt  was  S.  SS'*  W.,  and  at  the  end  S.  40^^  W.,  and  the 


;r; 


! 


f 


75 

inclination  is  estimated  to  be  about  200  feet  in  a  mile. 
Carrying  on  the  last  dip  to  the  next  expOi<ure,  which  occurs  at 
the  distance  of  a  mile  fiirtlier  east,  it  is  estimated  that  there  is 
a  thickness  of  about  twenty  feet  of  strata  -wanting  between  the 
two.  The  cliff  then  presents  thirty-four  feet  of  grey  limestone, 
weathering  yellowish,  and  containing  but  few  fossils.  The 
surface  of  one  bed  towards  the  middle  of  the  mass  is  cliarac- 
terized  by  a  peculiarity  which  is  probably  the  result  of  weather- 
ing. The  Ijcd  is  about  a  couple  of  inches  thick,  and  is  worn 
into  a  multitude  of  rather  deep  connected  pits  about  an  inch 
across  and  two  or  three  inches  long,  in  each  of  which  is  per- 
ceived a  fragment  of  a  shell  standing  with  its  edge  up.  There 
is  a  general  rude  parallelism  in  the  pits,  but  some  of  them 
cross  others,  and  some  descend  nearly  through  the  bed. 

In  the  exact  strike  of  this  cliff,  as  decided  by  the  run  of 
single  beds  which  can  be  seen  for  nearly  a  mile  along  this  reef, 
another  cliff  occurs  at  nearly  twice  that  distance,  with  a  litlio- 
logical  asjjcct  similar  to  the  last,  but  with  a  rather  larger  num- 
ber of  fossils.  The  base  is  marked  by  Atrypa  congesta,  and 
some  of  the  beds  higher  up  by  an  Ortliis  resembling  0. 
Laurentina,  and  by  a  species  of  Favosites.  The  beds  of  this 
cliff  are  supposed  to  be  included  in  those  of  the  previous  one* 

To  the  next  exposure  there  is  a  distance  of  something  less 
than  a  mile,  and  from  the  strike  of  the  strata  it  is  computed 
that  in  the  intermediate  parts  there  are  concealed  about  seven- 
teen feet,  reaching  to  the  base  of  the  cliff  in  which  the  exposure 
occurs.  Tlie  cliif,  which  is  forty  feet  high,  occupies  about  two 
miles  and  a  half  of  the  coast,  and  for  two-thirds  of  the  distance 
the  strata  appear  to  be  horizontal,  then  turning  down  with  a 
gentle  slope  to  give  an  addition  of  twenty-five  feet  in  the  re- 
maining third.  The  following  section  gives  the  details  of 
these  sixty-five  feet  in  ascending  order: 

ft.  in. 

Ligbt-grey  bituminous  limestone,  in  beds  of  from  one  quarter  of  an 
inch  to  ten  inches  thick,  weathering  yellowish-brown  in  some 
parts,  and  holding  Alrypa  reticularis  (its  first  appearance)  and 
numerous  remains  of  Crinoidea,  and  several  species  of  turbinated 
corals 10    0 

light  smoke-grey,  slightly  bituminous  limestone,  more  argillaceous 
than  the  last,  weathering  to  a  yellowish-brown,  in  beds  of  from 
one  to  two  inches,  without  observed  fossils 5    0 


*, 
% 


ft.   in. 

Light-Krey  bituminous  limestone,  similar  to  the  lowest  beds,  with 

Mitrrhisoma  and  "tlier  fossils •  •       '*    ^ 

Reddish  ash-grey  iirgillaceous  limestones,  slightly  bituminous,  in 
beds  of  from  half  an  inch  to  ten  inches,  with  abundance  of 
slender  serpentining  fueoids  of  a  dull  yollowish-whitc,  very  con- 
spicuous from  the  contrast  of  color;  Slutphonmui  ullmwla  also 
occurs ; •;  "     "^    ^ 

Light  smoke-Krey  limestone,  in  beds  of  from  one  to  ten  inches,  with 
the  tree-like  fossil  and  ascidians  in  the  lower  beds,  and  in  others 
Catenlpom  escharoidt's,  with  the  genera  l-(trosih's,  J'knrotoninrht, 
Marchisonia,  Orthis,  LepUvna  :ind  Atn/im.  Some  of  the  beds  at 
the  top  are  ash-grey  in  color ^^    ^ 

G,j     0 


J- 


Between  this  cliff  and  what  is  considered  tiie  hase  ofthe 
succccdinj,^  division,  the  dip  of  the  strata  wouhl  l)rinfr  in  about 
twenty-seven  feet,  which  are  concealed.  The  total  thickness  of 
the  division  would  thus  be: 

ft.  in. 

Pentamerus  beds  and  Otter  River  section 2(il  0 

Measures  concealed 

Table  River  section    '^'^  ^ 

Measures  concealed ^^ 

Two-mile  Clift"  section ^'"^  ^ 

Measures  concealed - '  " 

•  447    0 


The  rocks  of  the  division  reach  to  within  about  a  mile  of  the 
mouth  of  Jupiter  River,  and  the  total  distance  which  they 
occupy  on  the  coast  from  Long  Point  is  upwards  of  thirty-six 
miles. 

The  rocks  on  the  north  side  of  the  island  at  the  east  end, 
which  from  their  position  in  the  succession  there  arc  sui)posed 
to  represent  this  division,  have  been  as  yet  too  imperfectly 
examined  to  enable  me  to  speak  with  confidence  in  respect  to 
their  volume;  nor  has  anything  very  striking  been  observed  to 
establish  their  exact  equivalence,  so  that  it  is  from  the  relation 
they  bear  to  what  is  below  and  what  is  above,  rather  than  from 
what  the  north  and  south  localities  have  in  common,  that  the 
strata  are  given  as  representatives  of  one  another.  On  the 
north  coast  they  occupy  ten  miles,  and  deep  water  prevails 


0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 


11 

along  the  mIioIc  of  it;  in  most  places  tlio  sea  beats  against  tho 
cliff  at  liigli  water,  and  in  sonic  even  at  low  water,  and  tliero 
are  but  two  or  tliree  coves  at  which  a  landing  can  be  easily 
made;  it  would  ro(iuire  very  calm  weather  to  ofTect  a  thorough 
examination.  With  perfectly  calm  weather,  however,  every 
bed  in  succession  might  bo  Investigated,  as  none  arc  concealed 
in  the  whole  distance.  At  the  time  of  my  visit  to  the  locality 
there  was  a  considerable  stretch  of  the  cliff  which  we  durst  not 
allow  our  Ijoat  to  approach,  and  it  was  only  at  the  two  extrem- 
ties  that  admeasurements  were  made. 

Commencing  at  the  base  the  iirst  disappointment  experienced 
was  to  Und  scarcely  a  trace  of  the  pentamerus  Ijcds,  so  conspic- 
uous on  the  south  side;  for  with  tho  exception  of  a  single  valve 
of  a  Pentamerus,  resembling  P.  Ihtrrandi,  not  a  si)ecimen  of  the 
species  was  met  with;  instead  of  it  a  species  of  Atryjw,  resem- 
bling A.  rohiisfa  of  Hall,  prevailed  in  great  abundance,  no 
example  of  Avhich  again  was  found  on  the  south  side.  The  fol- 
lowing is  the  section  obtained  at  Gull  Cape,  beginning  at  the 
escarpment  which  has  been  mentioned  as  coming  to  the  coast 
south  of  Reef  Point,  where  the  previous  division  terminated; 
the  beds  are  dven  in  ascending  order: 

ft.  in. 
Lead-gioy  limestone,  in  thin  beils,  intersti atified  with  greenish  cal- 
careo-argilliiceous  shiiles,  Mlightly  arenaceous,  and  both  limestone 
and  shalo  slightly  liituiiiiuons;  the  only  fossil  observed  in  it  was 
an  Atrjipa,  but  not  in  great  abundance 19    0 

Lead-gvey  limestone,  with  no  observed  fossils 0    9 

Greenish  arenaceo-argillaceous  shale,  slightly  calcareous  ns  well  as 
slightly  bituminous,  crowded  with  an  Atrypa  (resembling  .1. 
rohuHia  of  Hall) ;  the  shale,  on  exposure  to  the  weather,  exfoliates 
and  crumbles,  and  the  fossils,  being  hard  limestone,  are  easily 
obtained  in  a  perfect  condition 25     0 

Greenish  arenaceo-avgillaeeous  shale  of  the  same  chiiracter  as  the 
last,  with  a  variety  of  the  same  Ainipd  as  the  last,  much  larger  in 
size;  one  valve  of  a  rentamerus  was  met  with  so  much  resembling 
P.  Barrandl  as  to  leave  little  doubt  that  it  is  the  same  species, 
though  rather  larger  than  any  met  with  on  the  south  side  of  the 
island 5    0 

Light  yellowish-grey  bituminous  limestone,  in  beds  of  from  half  an 

inch  to  two  inches,  holding  Afri/pa  20    0 

Dark-grey  slightly  bituminous  lijuestone,  in  beds  of  from  one  to  three 
inches,  and  towards  the  top  six  inches,  separated  by  partings  of 
greenish  calcareo-argillaceous  shale;  fossils  M'eather  out  in  good 
relief  on  the  surface,  the  most  prevalent  being  Ovlhii ?,S    0 


$ 


n 


ft 


//.  in. 
Dark  grey  slightly  bituminous  limcHtone,  iu  betis  of  from  tlmi'  to 
nine  incheH,  resembling  the  previous  mass,  but  without  observed 
fossils i^O     0 

127    9 

This  section  was  obtained  by  tlio  raoasurcniont  of  aceiunulat- 
ing  strata  in  the  cliff  as  far  as  Gull  Cove,  where  the  highest 
bed  was  about  sixty  feet  above  high  water  mark,  leaving  sixty- 
seven  feet  as  the  thickness  that  had  been  i»a>sod  over  at  tlio 
water's  edge.  TIic  dip  was  S.  28«  W.,  and  the  di-tance  across 
the  measures  was  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  so  that  the  inclina- 
tion was  about  ninety  feet  in  a  mile;  this  iriclination  would 
carry  the  sixty  feet  that  arc  in  the  clitf  to  the  level  of  the 
water  in  a  distance  of  fifty-three  cliains  in  the  direction  of  the 
dip,  and  following  the  strike  to  the  westward,  it  would  come 
out  in  Sand-top  Bay,  where  the  dip  is  S.  38"  AV.,  at  sucli  a 
distance  from  the  bight  of  it  as  would  give  eighteen  feet  to  the 
foot  of  the  cliff  there.  The  following  section  obtained  in  the 
cliff  gives  the  details  of  the  succeeding  sixty  feet  in  ascending 

order: 

ft.  in. 

Yellowish-grey,  compact,  slightly  bituminous  limestone,  in  beds  of 
from  two  to  four  inches,  with  few  observed  fossils,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  three  inches  at  the  top,  which  are  a  mass  of  Mnrchl- 
soiua,  resf  mbling  ,1/.  (jmcU'ts,  with  a  few  instances  of  Orthoccrrifi, 
and  one  jr  two  [examples  of  reniumfrua,  resembling  i'.  lens 20    0 

Ycllowlsh-grey  slightly  bituminous  liuiestoiie.  iu  buls  of  from  half  au 
inch  to  three  inches  in  tbickuess,  with  occusional  partings  of  yel- 
lowish-grey calcareous  shale;  tlie  surfaces  of  the  beds  are  fossiliter- 
ou?,  and  among  the  fossils  are  Calymene  Bliimenbachii.  Orfhis, 
Murchisonia  resembling  M.  gracilis,  and  C'rinoidea 15     0 

Yellow ii-h-grey,  interstratified  with  greyish-yellow  slightly  bitiiniinous 
liineetone,  in  beds  of  from  half  an  inch  to  two  inches,  with  partings 
of  calcareous  shale.  The  surfaces  of  the  beds  show  fosi  ils.  among 
which  are  Pcniamerus  resembling  P.  lens,  .Murc/iisonia  resembling 
gracilis,  Lcptaina,  resembling  subplana,  but  rallier  more  convex, 
with  Crinoidea 15    0 

Yellowish-grey  and  greyish-yellow  limestone,  as  before,  with  the  same 
fossils  as  the  last,  with  the  addition  of  Calymene  Bluemenhnchii, 
Atrypa  congesta,  and  other  small  species,  with  turbinated  corals,..    10    0 


60    0 


In  Sand-top  Bay  the  dip,  as  has  been  stated,  appears  to  be  S. 


79 

38^  W.,  and  in  th.-  uiroction  the  top  of  the  preceding:  section 
would  ))C  Carrie  I  aljout  fd'ty-tlirec  chains  before  rcacliinfi-  the 
level  of  the  sea;  ioilowint^  tlie  strike  to  tiie  eastward,  modified 
by  that  of  Sand-top  Cape,  tlie  dip  tliere  being  S.  28*  W.,  tlic 
to]*  of  the  section  would  come  upon  tlic  coast  in  a  ])Osition 
■which  would  be  just  a  mile  across  the  measures,  from  tlie  l)ifrlit 
of  the  bay  inside  of  J]ast  Point.  Tlie  inclination  ai>i)r()achinfr 
the  bight  of  the  bay  api)ear3  to  increase  considerably,  and  l)y 
the  impression  made  on  tlio  eye  by  the  strata,  as  seen  in  tlie 
cliff  from  the  boat,  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  would  bo  as  much 
as  200  feet  in  a  mile,  which  would  thus  be  the  interval  up  to 
the  l)ase  of  the  cliff  where  the  next  measurement  was  taken. 

From  a  sudden  change,  however,  which  appears  to  occur  in 
the  dip,  which  becomes  S.  3^'  E.,  it  is  not  impossible  that  some 
dislocation  may  occur  to  trouble  the  calculation.  Leaving  out 
this  consideration,  the  following  would  bo  the  remainder  of  the 
beds  belonging  to  the  division  in  ascending  order: 


ft.  in. 


Ash-grey  limestone,  in  beds  of  from  lialf  an  inch  to  three  inches,  with 
calcareo-iirgillaceous  partings,  intorHtratitied  with  iron-grey  lime- 
stones of  the  same  thiclviiesses.  The  condition  of  the  weather  was 
sncli  at  the  time  of  my  visit  that  it  allowed  me  to  examine  the 
upper  five  feet  only,  in  which  there  was  displayed  in  considerable 
abundance  a  Cijthere  about  half  an  inch  long 

Yellowish-grey  slightly  bituminous  limestone,  charged  witli  a  multitude 
of  corals,  consisting  of  the  genera  Catenipora,  Faiosites,  Htliolitts, 
C/iirtete.i,  Cynthnphijllum,  and  Orlhis;  on  the  surface,  the  bed 
assumed  .i  hummocky  character,  some  patclies  of  the  corals  rising 
from  one  to  five  feet  high,  with  the  diameter  of  from  two  to  ten 
fuet,  the  overlying  l)ed  conforming  in  some  degree  to  the  inequalities, 
and  giving  the  strata  the  aspect  of  having  been  disturljed 


50    0 


25    0 


7)    0 


i  I 


The  coral  bed  was  followed  round  the  coast  from  the  cove 
to  the  eastern  extremity  of  East  Point,  where  it  sinks  beneath 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  w^as  taken  for  the  limit  of  the  Division 
D  in  that  vicinity. 

The  whole  thickness  of  the  division  on  the  north  coast  would 
thus  be  as  follows: 


80 


:1 


K 

1 


.1 


i4 


ft.   in. 

Gull  Cape  section , 127     9 

Measiirt'R  not  examined , IS    0 

Sand-top  Bay  suction GO     0 

Measnros  not  examined 200    0 

East  Toint  section 7.')     0 

480     0 

Division  E. 

The  rocks  forming  the  next  division  commence  where  those 
of  the  previous  one  terminated,  rather  more  than  a  mile  west- 
ward of  the  month  of  Juinter  River,  and  occupy  the  coast 
between  that  position  and  South-west  Point,  the  distance  being 
a  little  over  seven  miles,  in  a  direction  very  nearly  S.S.E.  The 
dip  of  the  strata  is  very  constant  in  its  direction,  not  varying 
more  than  about  five  degrees  at  any  part,  the  average  being 
S.  7.^*^  W.,  while  the  inclination  is  sometimes  200  feet  in  a 
mile,  and  at  others  is  quite  inap})reciablc.  With  the  exception 
of  some  concealment  at  the  base,  and  more  towards  and  at  the 
summit,  the  measures  are  visible  all  tlie  way,  forming  clilTs  of 
from  twenty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet. 

The  following  is  the  sequence,  in  ascending  order,  of  the  de- 
posits, from  a  measurement  of  each  bed  in  succession  as  it  came 
upon  the  one  l)eneath,  with  the  exception  of  the  parts  con- 
cealed, which  were  determined  by  computation: 

fi    :n. 

Measures  concealed 27    0 

Greeuisli-gicy  and  brown  arenacco-arfjillaceous  shales  interstratified, 

of  a  fine  texture  in  thin  beds,  with  no  oiisorved  fossils (10     0 

Yellowish-grey  and  light-dr;ib  argillaceous  limestone,  slightly  bitu- 
minous, in  beds  of  from  one  to  five  inches,  cut  by  parallel  joints 
running  N.  Hr)"^  W.,  with  an  occasional  joint  running  obli(|uo  to 
that  cour;;e;  the  jointed  structure  and  the  general  soft  nature  of 
the  rock  cause  large  masses  to  fall  from  the  clilf  by  the  action  of 
the  sea,  which  is  encroaching  rapidly  on  the  land.  Among  the 
fossils  which  are  generally  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  there 
are  OmpiiiVdhiis,  within  about  twenty  feet  of  the  bottom,  Farositefi, 
Atrypa  rdiCHluris,  and  another  resembling  jj,  tunvda,  J'vntainents, 
like  P.  lens,  Miiolhm,  Cyl'mema,  OrUtocems,  Cyrtocer'ts,  Cah/incne 
lilnmeiihacliii  and  Bnmastes  hamensis 80    0 

Light-drab  argillaceous  limestone,  siightly  bituminous,  weathering 
white,  interstiatified  with  yellowish  limestone,  weathering  yel- 
luwish-brovvi)   both  in  beds  of  from  two  to  three  iuchts  thick. 


i-^ 


li,-^  f'l 


m 


ft.  in. 
The  fossils  are  not  numerous,  but  weatliercd  surfaces  present  m-cU 
preserved  specimens  of  Atrijpa  reiicuhirls,  Lepfama  suhplana,  Caly- 
mene  BlamenbachU,  Lychas,  Phacops,  Fentamerns  lens,  crinoidal 

columns,  iuul  other  species 22     G 

Ash-grey  ami  light-clrab  linrestoues  interstratilied,  both  sligl  'lybitir- 
miuous  and  in  beds  of  from  half  an  inch  to  two  inches.  The  sar- 
faces  weather  nearly  white  and  show  fossils  of  which  a  large 
number  are  weathered  nearly  black,  by  contrast  presenting  dis- 
tinct and  well  defined  forms;  among  them  are  AInjpa  reticularis, 
Lcpiirna  suhplana,  Strophomena  depressa,  Peidamerus  lens,  Cahj- 

mcne  BhonvnharhU. ^-^     " 

Ash-grey  and  light-drab  limestones  interstratified,  both  slightly  bitu- 
minous, in  beds  of  from  two  to  three  inches,  holding  in  the  upper 

part,  in  some  abundance,  Fentanvrus  lens 10    3 

Ash-grey  and  light-drab  limestones  interstratified,  both  slightly  bitu- 
minous and  crowded  with  Fentamerus  hjratus 2    G 

The  position  of  this  bed  is  just  west  of  the  last  brook  but  one, 
approaching  South-west  Toiut. 

Measures  concealed -^    ^ 

Light-drab  argillaceous  limestone,  slightly  bituminous 1    0 

Measures  concealed 2o     0 

Light-drab  argillaceous  limestone,  slightly  bituminous,  in  beds  of 
from  half  an  inch  to  three  inches,  containing  numerous  fossils, 
of  which  weathered  surfaces  present  excellent  S)  ,eeimens  weath- 
ered black,  while  the  edges  of  the  beds  along  the  cliff  yield  others 
quite  free  from  the  rock.  Among  the  fossils  are  vrrnous  corals, 
with  Alri/pa  relieuktrls,  A.  cnmjosdi,  A.  hcmisphcrk^i,  A . naviformis, 
JSplrifer  railialns,  LepUrna  suhplana,  L.  (ransccrsdis,  fragments  of 
Orihoceras  and  Cyrtoceras,  Cahjmene  lilumenbachii  Fhacops  (a  new 

species)  and  an  Encr'imirus 87     G 

The  position  of  this  deposit  is  a  little  east  of  the  last  brook,  ap- 
proaching Kouth-west  Point. 
Measures  concealed  at  the  bight  of  the  cove,   north  of  South-west 

Point ^^7    G 

510    9 


The  rocks  at  the  cast  end  of  the  island  supposed  to  be  equiv- 
alent to  those,  arc  seen  in  tlie  section  displayed  there  in  con- 
tinuation of  what  has  already  been  given  to  the  top  of  the 
coral  bed  at  East  Point.    They  are  i)i  ascending  order  as  fol- 


lows: 


Yellowiah-grey  slightly  bituminons  limestone,  without  any  well  defin- 
ed bedding,  in  some  measure  fiUin?  up  the  Inequalities  on  the 
top  of  th(>"  coral  bed.  The  rock  breaks  easily  in  the  plane  of  the 
beds  with  a  conchoidal  tVacturo,  ami  is  crowded  with  well  pre- 

c 


ft.  in.. 


i'^ 


Oi 


ft.  in. 
served  fossils,  principally  Jtnjpa  hemispherka,  and  Lepknui  suh- 

plana;  the  thickuess  of  the  mass  is  from  two  to  six  feet 4    0 

Bluish-ttrev  avRillo-calcareous  shale,  hohling  iron  pyrites  in   some 

0      9 

abuuclance ;  •  •  " 

Dull  ash-grey  argillo-calcareoiis  shale,  containing  no  observed  fossils, 
interstratified  with  patches  of  drab  colored  argillaceous  limestone, 
slightly  bituminous,  in  beds  of  from  one  to  two  inches  thick, 
occurring  at  intervals  of  from  one  to  four  feet;  on  the  surfaces  of 
these  fossils  in  good  preservation  are  met  with,  but  not  in  large 
numbers;  among  th<>m  aveAtnipn  rc^/cu/ai'/.s,  with  another  species, 
LerAoina,    Cahnnene    TiluiiienhachH,    Oiihuceras,    Murchisonia,    and 

various  corals 

Light  smoke-grey  limestone,  slightly  bituminous,  interstratitied  with 
drab-colored  soft  argillaceous  limestone,  in  beds  of  from  half-an- 
inch  to  two  inches  in  thickness.  The  harder  beds  occasionally 
weather  to  a  somewhat  brown  color  on  the  surfaces,  and  present 
well-preserved  fossils  weathering  blackish-grey,  affording  superior 
specimens  for  the  examination  of  structure.  Among  the  fossils 
are  Atrtipa  rcCmdaris,  A.  comjesia,  Lephrm  suhplana,  L.  imnscvr- 
salis,  L.  pnfanda,  f^pirifer  nuidesins,  Calijmene  Blnmenharhn, 
Enrrinnms,    hjchas,     Fuvosiks.    small    Bryo-oa,   and    crinoiaal 

columns 

Light  smoke-grey  slightly  bituminous  limestones,  with  drab-colored 
soft  argillaceous  limestones,  similar  in  litbological  character  and 

in  fossils  to  the  last 

The  preceding  part  of  the  section  is  measured  at  high  water 
mark  across  the  measures  from  East  Point,  the  dip  being  S.  18° 
W.,  with  an  ascertained  inclination  of  a  little  over  100  feet  in  a 
mile. 

The  distance  at  right  angles  to  the  strike  is  two-tilths  of  a  mile. 
Measures  concealed  by  the  shinr'  of  the  beach,,  which  consists  of 
light  smoke-grey  limestone  .dngled  with  light  drab  compact 
argillaceous  limestone,  but  slightly  bituminous,  pieces  of  which 
show  among  other  iossWsAlrypardlcularis,  ddymene  Blianenhnchn, 
Pintavienis,  resembling  P.  lens,  with  varions  corals  and  broken 

encrinites 

Measures  concealed 21 

The  top  of  thc-e  measures  readies  a  position  a  little  over  lialf-o- 
mile  from  Heath  Point  lighthouse. 
■  Light  smoky-Krey  slightly  bituminous  limestone,  interstratified  with 
reddish-drab  argillaceous  limestone,  also  slightly  bituminous,  both 
In  bcfls  of  from  one  to  iwo  inches,  occasiomdly  presenting  HU'taces, 
on  wliich  arc  weathered  out  well  dclined  fossils;  among  them  arc 
Jlfrypa  reticularis,  Leptona  suhplana.  Pcutavienis  resembling  i'. 

lyratus,  vvith  small  turbinated  corals '^■" 

The  top  of  the  previous  beds  reaches  the  soulliern  iiroinontory  of 
Heath  Point  upwards  of  balfa-mile  S.  S.  W.  Irom  the  lightliouse. 


20    0 


35 


0 
0 


I 


L 

Al 

t 
P 


,  :. 


83 


33 
•J 


ft.  in 
The  (lip  of  the  inoasiiros  in  this  neighborhood  is  S.  18°  W.,  and  the 
iiicliinition  was  ascertained  to  be  eighty  leet  in  a  mile,  which  is  the 
rate  allowed  for  the  last  throe  measnrements;  the  distance  which  the 
whole  occupies  at  right  angles  to  the  strike  being  two  miles  and 
twenty-four  ciiains. 

In  the  bight  of  the  bay  west  of  Heath  Point  some  of  the  last  beds 
are  repeated,  but  carrying  tlie  strilve  from  the  eastern  horn  of  the 
bay  to  the  coast  on  the  opposite  side,  the  following  are  the  beds  that 
dccnr  in  continuation  of  the  section  : 
Light  smoke-grey  limestone,  sliglitly  bituminous,  intcrstratified  with 
light  reddish-drab,  similar  to  the  last  beds,  with  similar  fossils. . . 

Measures  concealed 

In  the  two  preceding  measurements  the  dip  is  S.  .')3-'  W.,  and  the 
inclination  forty-five  feet  in  a  mile,  as  determined  by  the  lirst ;  the 
distance  across  the  measurer  is  seventy-si.x  chains. 
Light  unoky-^rey  and  reddisli-dral)  liuiestonos  intcrstratified,  similar  ia 

lithological  character  and  fossils  to  the  last  beds  described 15     0 

Pale  drab  colored  limestone,  interstratifii'd  w^ith  limestone  of  a  more 
argillaceou )  character,  and  of  a  somewhat  darker  color,  both  in  beds 
of  from  half-an-incb  to  three  inches  thick  ;  tlie  surfaces  of  these  afford 
beautiful  and  finely  preserved  foi-sils ;  well  weathered  out,  among 
which  are  Atrypa  re.imluris.  A.  htmiKpherica,  Leptcpyia,  Penta- 
rntriis  resembling  P.  lens,  Calymcne  Blumenbachii,  Encrinurus, 

tentaculites,  crinoidal  columns,  and  small  Briozoa 1j     U 

Asli-grey  limestone  in  beds  of  from  one  to  six  inches,  with  thin  a:'„nl- 
laceous  partings  ;  some  of  the  beds  are  crowded  with  Pentamerus 

obhmgus,  and  Atrypa  reticularis  is  common 30     n 

The  distance  across  the  measures  occupied  by  the  last  three 
d'.posits  i.s  sixty  chains,  and  the  dip  is  S.  18  W.,  with  an  ascertained 
inclination  of  eighty  feet  in  a  mile;  the  dip  then  changes,  ap- 
proacliing  a  dislocation  which  occurs  at  a  projecting  point,  about 
a  mile  and  tin-ee-(iuarters  north-eastward  of  Cormorant  J'oint. 

Tlie  course  of  the  fault  is  N.  37  E.,  and  it  produces  an  upthrow  o;i 
the  *.  '^st  side  of  forty  five  feet,  by  which  the  last  two  measure- 
ments ai-.  vvucated.  The  sequence  of  the  beds  beyond  these  is  as  fol- 
lows • 
Ash-t'roy  limestones  lu  beds  of  from  one  to  nine  inches,  with  thin  ai-gil- 
hi.ceous  partings  ;   some  of  the  beds  are   filled  with  Pentamerus 

i,'j{oue;us,  and  Atrypa  reticularis  is  very  Crequmt   

This  deposit  reaches  to  the  north  side  of  Cormorant  Point  ;  the 
dip  of  the  measures  is  S.  20°  V/.,  and  the  ascertained  slope  Is  1 10  feet 
in  a  mile. 
Ash-grey  liraeftou'',  i  1 1  edi  o"  from  one  to  six  inches  tbii^k,  intcsirati- 
tled  with  greenish  argillo-areiiacious  .shale,  slightly  calcareous,  in 
beds  of  from  ai>-eigbth  to  u-fourtli  o(  an  inch  thick ;  in  tlie  three  feet 
at  the  ba>e,  it  is  in  patches  of  from  sir  ioth-s  to  oi  g  foot  thici--. 
Amofig  the  fossils  are  Zxph  ertis  bilateralii,  Stromatoiwra  turn- 


0 


-«eS*'' 


'% 


84 


cenlrira.  Favonites,  favosa,  GrajituUlhus,  Ort/ioccras  antl  Pentam- 

crus  oblon frits 

This  compoFi.'s  a  clilf  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high  round  Cor- 
morant Point,  with  a  dip  S.  18^  \V..  and  an  inclination  ascertained  to 
be  ei.nlity  feet  in  a  mile,  for  a  bread.h  acros.s  the  measures  of  forty- 
five  chains. 


45     0 


5r>0  11 


Lie 


Eastward  from  Cormorant  Point,  tlie  measures  arc  concealed 
for  about  three  miles,  and  beyond  this  all  the  way  to  Chicotte 
River,  a  distance  of  about  lifty  miles,  there  are  occasional 
exposures  of  limestone,  with  intervals  of  concealment,  some  of 
which  are  very  long.  All  the  exposures  arc  supposed  to  belong 
to  this  division,  but  tliougli  the  l)eds  in  no  case  show  a  great 
inclination,  and  in  several  arc  quite  horizontal,  the  bearings  of 
the  dips  that  are  presented  vary  frequently  and  considerably, 
cither  through  small  faults  or  gentle  undulations,  and  it  has 
been  found  impossible  to  say  ^Yith  precision  to  what  parts  of  the 
division  these  beds  arc  equivalent,  or  whether  some  of  them 
may  not  add  a  few  feet  to  the  thickness  given. 

Before  describing  the  positions  of  these  exposures,  however, 
it  Avill  be  convenient  to  give  a  section  of  the  succeeding  divi- 
sion. 

Division  F. 

In  immediate  sequence  to  the  concealed  measures  which  con- 
stitute the  upper  part  of  the  Jupiter  River  section  of  the  last 
division,  the  following  beds  present  themselves  in  ascending 
order,  and  form  the  whole  of  the  area  of  what  is  called  South- 
west Point. 


Yel 


m. 


Light  smoke-grey  limestone,  of  a  somewhat  gi-amilar  cliaracter,  in 
beds  of  from  three  to  six  inches  thick,  with  thin  partings  of  green 
argillo-calcareoiis  shale  occurring  in  patches.  Iron  pyrites  arc  dis- 
seminated through  the  beds,  sometimes  in  single  ciibes,  and  some- 
times in  aggregations  of  minute  cubes  forming  nodules  of  from 
one  to  two  inches  in  diameter,  discoloring  the  rock  by  their  de- 
composition. The  ruins  of  crinoidal  columns  constitute  the  or- 
ganic remains _•  • 

Light  smoke-grey  limestones,  with  iron  pyrites  in  some  abundance,  in 
nodules  as  before  of  from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch  in  diameter,  and 
occasionally  on  the  surface  of  the  bed  in  patches  of  from  half  an 
inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half  thick,  and  from  six  to  eighteen  inches 


fi- 


in. 


3    9 


Yeli 


It- 


Yell 


Yell 


Yell 


m-^ 


1 


in  diameter.    Fossils  occur  in  fragments  but  thej'  are  too  obscure 
to  be  icVjntified 

Light  smoke-grey  limestone  of  a  granular  character,  in  Iteds  of  from 
two  to  six  inches  thick,  with  partings  of  green  argillo-calcareous 
shale,  which  also  occurs  in  jiatches  in  the  beds,  giving  them  ii 
greenish  cast;  among  the  fossils  occur  Z'lphventls,  like  Z.hUaterali: 
of  Hall;  SlromdtojHmi  ronr.entr'ict,  ('i/'ithdphi/UKia,  Atnipardh'nlans, 
rentamenis  ohlotigus,  ]'.  Ims,  Oiihoc.cms  and  crinoidal  columns . . 

Yellowish  or  reddish-white  graimlar  limestone,  with  thin  vein-like 
patches  of  argillo-calcareous  shale  disseminated  through  it;  the 
beds  are  from  three  too  seven  inches  thick.  Among  the  organic 
remains,  saveral  of  which  are  similar  to  those  of  the  preceding 
deposit,  rii/rliophyllum  characterizes  the  present  one,  some  of  these 
being  a  foot  in  diameter.  Favosiles  also  occurs  in  tables  of  half 
an  inch  thick,  and  sometimes  three  feet  in  diameter 

Yellowish-whito  granular  limestone,  in  beds  of  from  six  to  eighteen 
inches  thick,  often  separated  by  thin  partings  of  green  argillo- 
calcareous  shale,  which  is  also  disseminated  in  small  patches 
throu^'h  the  bed;  The  fossils  are  few  in  species,  being  cliiefly  the 
ruins  of  crinoidal  columns,  which  in  some  cases  form  the  entire 
mass  of  a  bed 

Yellowish-white  granular  limestones,  in  beds  of  from  six  to  twelve 
inches  thick,  showing  less  green  shale  than  before.  The  beds  are 
well  stored  with  the  fragmentsof  crinoidal  columns,  which  almost 

entirely  compose  some  of  them 

Shortly  before  reaching  the  upper  part  of  the  previous  deposit 
several  small  undulations  occur  in  the  strata,  but  the  effect  of 
them  being  visible,  allowance  has  been  made  for  the  repetitious 
they  occasion. 

The  remainder  of  the  section  being  taken  from  a  part  where  tdio 
effect  of  the  undulations  is  not  so  easily  followed,  the  sequence  is 
not  so  certain. 

Yellowish-white  granular  limestone,  in  heiU  of  from  six  to  t^velve 
inches  thick,  consisting  of  a  mass  of  organic  remains,  of  which 
crinoidal  columns  constitute  by  far  the  larger  part;  but  other  fos- 
sils are  met  with,  among  which  are  Caiinuporn  cscharoh.ks,  Eivosltes, 
(histiphijllnm,  Atnjpi  reticulnris-,  Ct/iiia,  two  species  of  Ci/donema, 
Bumastes  Barrienses,  Sphercrochus 

Yellowish-white  limestones,  in  beds  of  from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches 
thick;  the  surfaces  of  some  of  the  beds  show  crinoidal  columns 
well  weathered  out,  some  of  which  are  three  quarters  of  an  inch 
iu  diameter.    Among  the  fossils  are   Fcivosiles,  Cateiupora  esuha- 

roides;  Atvypa  reticidtiris,  and  two  species  of  C(idon<'inu 

South-west  Point  Lighthouse  standi  on  the  beds  last  given. 


ft.  in. 
&    6 


7     (! 


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11   a 


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J-t, 


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86 

This  is  the  highest  series  of  strata  met  ^vith  on  the  islaiul, 
and  its  lithological  character  is  so  well  marked  that  it  is 
scarcely  possible  to  mistake  it  for  any  of  those  which  preceded. 
Proceeding  eastward  from  South-west  Point  about  three  miles, 
to  a  place  called  the  Jumpers,  a  clilT  of  about  thirty  feet  in 
height  presents  itself,  where  it  appears  to  me  probable  the 
junction  of  the  Divisions  E  and  F  is  seen,  the  boso  belonging  to 
'the  one  and  the  summit  to  the  other.  The  beds  in  ascending 
order  are  as  follows: 


ft.  ni. 


8     C 


10    6 


Liijlit  grey  argillaceoii:'^  limestone,  f^lijrhtly  bituminous  in  In  ds  of  from 

^  lialf  an   inch  to   three  inches   thicl<,  interstnitillod   with  <;rcenisb 

colored  shale;   amung  ti:e  fossils  observed    Pentamerus   vHowjus 

and  Atrypa  Reticularis  were  the  most  abundant 

Greeni.-h  cal'eareo-argillaceons  limestone,  slightly  bituminous,  in  beds  of 
from  half  an  inch  to  two  inelies  thick;  the  shale  constitutes  about 
two-thirds  of  the  mass,  and  crumbling  in  the  atmospliere,  allows  the 
the  exposure  of  weM  defined  fossils  in  high  relief  on  the  surn)ees 
of  the  limestone  beds.  Among  the  fossils  in  addition  to  corals, 
briozoa,  crin^idal  columns,  and  te  i.aculites,  are  Atrypa  reticularis. 
J.  hcmisphre'n,  A.  n<iviformis.  Leptaim  transvcisdls,  l\niamenis 
oUoihjUi.  P.  lyratiif.  P.  lni%  Platyostoma  hnni^pherica.  Pleura- 
tomaria,  Mure'n.sonia  subulata,  Orthoceras.  Beyriclmi  and   CaLr 

menc  BInmenhachii • 

Dark  ash-grey  limestone,  in  some  parts  mixed  witli  yellowi^h-white  and 
in  sudi  parts  of  a  granulur  t.'Xture;  the  whole  occurring  in  beds 
of  from  one  to  three  inches  thick,  interstratiUed  with  thin  beds  of 
greenish  shale.  The  deposit  is  characterized  by  an  abundance  of 
corals  and  encrinites;  among  th-'  corals  are  Cntenipora  esr.haroides. 
Favcsites  favosa,  F.  <jothhmdica,  F.  mullipora.  Zaplircntis,  Stro- 
mafopora  concentrica;  and  among  the  other  fossils  are  Pentamerm 
oMorKjus  and  Atrypa  reticularis 


It  is  not  improbable  that  tlie  south  is  occupied  by  the  rocks 
of  Division  F,  from  South-west  Point  to  the  vicinity  of 
Chicotte  lUver,  a  distance  altogether  of  about  thirty  miles; 
without  further  examination,  however,  it  cannot  be  so  stated 
with  certainty;  for  while  there  is  an  interval  of  seventeen  miles 
beyoiul  the  Jum])ers,  in  which  only  one  exposure  could  be  dis- 
cerned from  the  l)oat,  there  was  a  further  distance  of  seven 
miles  in  which  four  exposures  wore  seen  but  remained  unexam- 
ined in  conset]uence  of  our  not  being  able  to  land  at  them  from 


1L 


87 


tlic  condition  of  the  surf.  A  landing  however  was  effected  in 
a  cove  under  two  miles  west  from  Chicottc  River,  and  tlio  cliffs 
which  were  examined  on  both  sides  of  the  cove  exhibited  the 
yellowish-wliite  granular  crinoidal  limestone  of  tliis  division. 

The  rock  there  formed  clilTs,  exhibiting  about  thirty  feet  of 
the  strata,  which  appeared  to  be  somewhat  disturbed,  as  the 
strike  and  dip  wore  very  irregular,  the  inclination  sometimes 
amounting  to  so  much  as  twelve  degrees. 

Tliesc  l»eds  extend  to  within  about  lialf-a-mile  of  Chicottc 
River,  and  as  no  instance  of  tliem  was  observed  between  that 
and  Cormorant  Point,  and  all  the  exposures  met  with  pre- 
sented strata  resembling  those  of  the  immediately  sul)jacont 
division,  it  is  concluded,  as  has  already  been  stated,  that  this 
stretch  of  tlie  coast  belongs  to  it. 

Contiiniing  eastward  from  Cliicotte  River,  the  first  of  these 
exposures  occurs  at  tlic  distance  of  about  two  miles  and  a-quar- 
ter,  tlic  next  connnences  about  seven  and  a-half  miles  farther  on, 
being  al)out  two  miles  beyond  Pavillion  River,  where  about 
seven  feet  of  drab-colored  limestone  in  horizontal  strata  arc 
seen,  with  an  intei'val  of  conceahnent  which  continues  for  a 
mile,  reaching  nearly  to  ^[artin  Brook.  Tlie  next  exposure  is 
on  tlie  east  side  of  the  cove  receiving  Iron  River,  the  distance 
from  the  last  being  about  a  mile  and  a-half.  Here  about  ten 
feet  are  dis])kyed  in  a  low  cliff",  and  the  strata  still  horizontal 
run  along  the  coast  for  three-quarters  of  a  mile. 

Six  miles  lieyond  this  occurs  Chaloupe  River,  where  cliffs 
are  seen  at  each  horn  of  the  bay  at  its  mouth,  separated  about 
half-a-milc  from  one  another.  The  cliffs  expose  from  twelve 
to  liftecn  feet  of  limestone  in  horizontal  strata  which,  with  an 
interval  of  concealment,  continue  for  a  mile  and  a-quarter  to 
the  eastward.  A  mile  and  a-half  further,  there  is  another  cliff 
of  horizontal  lim(>stone  shewing  ten  feet,  and  three  miles  on 
still  another  in  w  lilch  twelve  feet  are  seen.  These  run  along 
the  coast  for  a  mile  and  a-half,  and  after  an  interval  at.  the 
mouth  of  a  brook,  they  are  repeated  in  a  clift"  of  from  twenty 
to  twenty-iive  feet  and  continue  for  a  mile.  The  next  display 
occurs  about  live  and  a-half  miles  further  on,  commencing 
within  thrce-quartrrs  of  a  mile  of  the  extremity  of  South  Point, 


88 

and  continuing,  with  an  interval  at  the  point,  for  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  beyond  it.  The  strata  as  before,  are  flat,  and  they 
exhibit  the  following  section  in  ascending  order:— 

ft.    in. 

Grey  limcstoiio  in  ))ih1s  of  n-om  two  to  lour  inches  thick,  iaterstratifiod 
with  grey  argillo-calcareous  shiile ;  among  the  fossils  are  .Itr/jpa 
reticularis,  Lrptana  subplana,  Calymene  lilumenbachii  and  0>- 

C     C 

tlKiceras 

Grey  liniPPtone  crowded  with  Ptnta7nerus  oblomjm  of  large  size,  to  the 
excUiMon  apparently  of  other  fossils;  nine-tenths  of  the  hed  av  niude 
up  of  tliem,  and  (=ome  of  the  individuals  measured  nearly  mx  '"^^'I'S 

in  length 

Gr.  y  limestone  in  beds  of  from  one  to  six  inches,  with  OrthisJlaheUulum 
and  Calymene  Bhnnenbachii 

Grey  limeetonc  holding  Pentumirus  vhlowjus  in  abundance,  but  of  small 
sizes,  varying  from  a-quarler  of  an  inch  to  an  inch  aud  a-half  in 
lcn"tb;  no  other  fossil  was  observed ^    "^ 

Drab  coU.red  limestone  in  beds  of  from  one  to  three  inches,  interstratified 
with  greenish-grey  shale,  constituting  one-fourth  of  the  mass;  the 
shale  crumbles  under  the  influence  of  the  weather  and  yields  verj'^ 
perfect  fossils;  among  them  are  a  Favositeif  with  small  tubes,  F. 
favo.'^a.  Zaphraiiis  bilaternlis.  Jltiypa  reticularis,  J.  hemispher- 
ica.  Orthis  eleijantala,  O.  Jh.btllulum.  Spirifcr  radiatus.  small 
individnalii  of  I'etitnnHrusoblo7i(ju^,  Leptana  svbplana, Calymene 
Blumenbachii,  Eucrinurus  pimciatm,  Orthocerus  and  crinoidal 
columns 

28    8 

A  little  under  half-a-mile  beyond  this,  another  cliff  of  lime- 
stone occurs,  which  runs  along  the  coast  for  as  much  more,  and 
probably  repeats  a  part  of  the  section  given,  the  height  of  the 
cliff  being  twenty  feet. 

The  strata  in  the  exposures  for  twenty-four  miles  up  to  tins 
point  appear  to  be  perfectlv  horizontal,  but  tlie  next  exhibition 
on  the  east  side  of  a  small  cove,  shows  a  gentle  dip  to  the 
south-east.  The  beds  form  a  fifteen  feet  cliff  of  limestone, 
runnino-  for  about  half  a-milc  along  the  coast,  and  terminating 
at  the  extremity  of  a  point.  At  the  next  exposure,  however, 
which  occurs  after  an  interval  of  concealment  of  six  miles,  they 
are  once  more  horizontal,  and  compose  a  cliff  t.gain  fifteen  feet 
high,  which  occupies  a  mile  of  the  coast;  at  a  mile  beyon<l_  this 
the  calcareous  strata  which  present  themselves  show  a  dq)  b. 
25^  E.<3^,  which  after  another  mile  becomes  S.  47''  E.<1°;  the 


t^ 


i 


89 

bods  in  the  last  case  being  superior  to  those  in  the  preceding 
one.     Tliis  dip  prevails  lor  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  in 
which  the  coast  runs  oblique  to  the  strata,  and  then  from  a 
dislocation  or  a  twist  in  the  stratification,  it  very  suddenly 
changes  to  S.  60«  W.,  which  is  maintained  for  about  a-quarter 
of  a  mile  across  the  measures,  along  a  small  cliff  occupying 
that  distance.    Another  concealment  of  about  a  mile  and  a-half 
brintrs  us  to    the    horizontal    limestones  Avhich    have    been 
already  mentioned  as  existing  three  miles  west  of  Cormorant 
Point. 

ECONOMIC   MATERIALS. 

The  substances  fit  for  economic  application  met  with  on  the 
island  are  confined  to  building  stones,  grindstones,  brick-clay, 
peat,  and  shell-marl;  metalliferous  minerals,  as  far  as  my 
ol)servations  went,  appear  to  be  wanting.  The  only^  ore 
observed  appeared  to  be  loose  pieces  of  magnetic  oxyd  of  iron, 
most  probably  transported  from  the  Laurentian  series  on  the 
north  shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence;  there  is  no  reason,  however, 
for  asserting  that  bog  iron  ore  may  not  be  hereafter  found. 

Buiklmg  Stones.— 1\\  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  South- 
west Point,  coarse  granular  limestone  for  building  purposes  is 
displayed  in  abundance  among  the  strata  belonging  to  Division 
F.  It  occurs  in  beds  of  from  six  to  eighteen  inches  in  thick- 
ness, is  easily  dressed,  and  yields  good  blocks  of  a  yellowish- 
white  color.  The  lighthouse  at  the  point  is  built  of  it,  and  so 
is  that  at  Heath  Point,  both  of  which,  notwithstanding  the 
coarse  and  rather  open  texture  of  the  stone,  have  stood  for 
upwards  of  seventeen  years,  I  believe,  without  showing  signs  of 

decaV" 

The  sandstone  of  Cape  James  and  Table  Head  would  afford 
a  fine  material  for  building  purposes;  it  has  a  good  warm  color, 
being  a  greoni^h-gray  approaching  to  drab,  rather  lighter  than 
the  s'andstone  of  Craig  Lcith  quarry,  near  Edinburgh;  it  has  a 
free  grain,  and  would  therefore  dress  easily,  while  the  angular 
fragments  on  the  beach  show  that  it  would  retain  its  sharp 
edgns.  Blocks  of  every  required  size  might  be  obtained  with 
thickness  up  to  five  and  a-half  feet.  One  solid  mass  of  it  which 
had  fallen  from  Cape  James,  lay  on  the  beach,  measuring  forty 


1)0 


by  sixty  feet,  with  a  tliicknoss  of  five  feet,  and  must  have  con- 
tained upwards  of  12,000  ciil)ic  feet  of  good  Avorkaldo  stone. 
In  the  two  cliffs  which  have  l)ecn  niontioued,  the  bed  occupies 
seven  miles  of  the  coast,  and  its  proximity  to  the  sea  offers  a 
very  easy  means  of  transport  to  the  towns  and  cities  of  the  St. 
Lawrence. 

Grindstones. — The  same  sandstone  would  very  ]n-obably 
yield  very  good  grindstones;  although  slightly  calcareous,  it  is 
even  grained,  and  there  is  a  sufficient  amount  of  clear  sharp 
grit  in  it  to  render  it  available,  while  there  would  be  no  diilU 
culty  in  getting  any  sizes  of  grindstones  that  might  be 
required. 

Brick  Clai/. — Clay  fit  for  common  red  brick  exists  in  some 
abundance;  it  Avas  oljserved  of  a  Iduisli-grey  color,  and  about 
ten  feet  in  thickness,  half-a-milo  up  the  Otter  llivcr,  on  the 
south  side;  and  I  was  iniormed  of  its  existence  up  the  Becscie 
River.  About  five  miles  of  coast  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Mary's 
River  consists  of  clay  cliffs  of  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet  in 
height,  and  no  doubt  much  of  it  might  be  made  avaihd)le  for 
bricks:  some  of  it,  however,  is  of  a  calcareous  character,  and 
contains  many  ]»ebblc3  of  limestone,  fitting  it  probably  for  agri- 
cultural rather  tlmn  manufacturing  i^urposes. 

Fresh-water  Shell-marl. — This  material  appears  to  exist  in 
considerable  abundance  on  the  island;  the  bottoms  of  all  the 
ponds  or  small  lakes  that  were  examined,  with  the  exception  of 
such  as  were  surrounded  by  peat,  were  more  or  less  covered 
with  it.  Marl  Lake  is  one  of  these;  it  has  a  superficies  of  al)Out 
ninety  acres,  and  although  the  depth  of  the  deposit  Avas  not 
carefully  sounded,  its  thickness  appeared  to  be  considerable. 
The  brook  Avhich  empties  the  lake  into  Indian  Cove  at  the  west 
end,  carries  down  a  large  quantity  of  the  nmrl  as  a  sediment  to 
the  sea,  where  it  becomes  si)read  out  for  a  considerable  space 
over  the  rocks  of  the  vicinity. 

About  three  miles  west  from  Soutli-Avest  Point,  marl  was  ob- 
served to  occupy  a  position  on  the  bank  of  a  brook,  and  to  ex- 
tend for  a-quarter  of  a  mile  inland,  presenting  a  thickness  of 
about  a  foot  covered  with  peat. 

In  a  lake  half-a-mile  further  inland,  it  covered  the  bottom 
over  an  area  of  200  acres;  and  on  the  east  side  of  South  Point 


n 

ituas  oLsorvcl  roposinu  on  vook  closo  to  the  shore,  oovered 
over  l>v  IV.rai  rour  to  Ion  loot  of  peat.  , 

P,„;_\lou.'   the  low   lands  of    the  south   coast  ol   the 
i.hu.d.lVora  llS>th  r„int  to  within  ciKhto,- nine  n.ilos  of  fonth- 
west  I'oint,  a  con.inuons  peat  plain  extends  lor  upward, 
of  ei"htv  ndles,  with  an  average  hrcadth  of  two  mdes,  giving  a 
supe;-r,ei..s  of  npwards  of  If.O  square  miles,  with  'yl''"'""';';  ™ 
neat  a<  observed  on  the  coast  of  from  Ihrce  to  ten  Icet.     On  the 
average  this  ph>in  n,ay  l>o  fifteen  feet  alcove  Idgh-water  marie; 
J  1 ;,;  elnvnnels  eat  through  it  eould  be  easily  dramed  .ni 
faced  'iV-r  working.    As  far  as  my  knowledge  goes,  h,^  ^      e 
largest  peat  Ihdd  in  Canada,  and  the  general  qi.ality  ol  the 

material  is  excellent.  ,      ,    ^  a  ...,\.  ,vn^' 

There  are  manv  isolated  patches  also  between  f;'  1-^^''- 
point  and  the  west  end,  varying  in  size  from  1.  .  to  1  tOtl  acres, 
which  wo,dd  viold  a  considerable  quantity  o   the  ^"'^f'^\ 

It  was  stated  to  n,e  that  peat  existed  also  in  some  abnndai  e 
in  the  interior  of  the  island,  but  this  I  au>  disposed  to  dm  id 
for  while  all  the  streams  flowing  from  the  peat  plain  on  lie 
Ji  side  gave  as  is  usual  a  brown  colored  water  those  in  other 
'ZvL  w..re  pure  and  colorless,  leading  to  the  opinion  that  the 
intcii.n-  was  peculiarly  free  from  peat  swamps. 

Anion..-  the  materials  of  the  island  wliieli  may  be  considered 
of  an  econoane  nature  though  not  of  a  mineral  cliaracter,  sea- 
weed and  diiftliiabor  may  be  enumerated. 
'"^;^,.,„,,,._ln  all  the  bays,  coves  and  sheltered  places  around 
the  whole  i4and,  with  the  exception  of  those  between  the  cast 
end  and  Southwest  Point,  there  is  a  great  aceumala  tion  of  .ea- 
weed  ah,ug  the  high-water  mark;  in  sack  places  patches  of   t 
^.le  met  with  of  IVmn  a  hundred  yards  to  half-a-nnle  in  length 
ml  . Von,  two  ,0  six  yards  in  width;  the  Jepth  usua  y  vaned 
from  one  to  four  feet,  and  in  some  instances  was  six  fc  t      1 
benelicial  effect  of  sea-weed  as  a  manure  is  too  -  " '-  »™  ' 
require  mentioning,  but  to  what  distance  it  would  beai  cai 
h'"e  for  such  an  applioatioa  is  more  than  I  am  able  to  s  at 
On'the  island,  Mr.  Pope,  of  South-west  Point,  makes  use  ol  it 
as  a  fertilizer  for  his  lields,  mixing  itwith  the  peat  which  forms 

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whicli  are  scattered  along  the  south  nhore  of  the  island,  is  very 
surprising;  the  abundance  appears  to  be  greater  towards  the 
east  end  than  the  ^vest;  but  according  to  the  calculation  which 
I  have  made,  if  the  "whole  of  the  logs  were  placed  end  to  end 
they  would  form  a  line  equal  to  the  whole  length  of  the  island, 
or  140  miles;  this  would  give  about  one  million  of  cubic  feet. 
Some  of  the  squared  timber  may  have  been  derived  from  wrecks, 
but  the  great  number  of  saw-logs,  which  are  not  shipped  as 
cargo,  fnduces  me  to  suppose  that  the  main  source  of  this  timber 
is  drift. 

No  doubt  the  whole  of  it  may  have  once  been  private  prop- 
erty, and  perhaps  much  of  it  could  be  identified  as  such  by 
private  marks;  perhaps,  too,  no  one  may  have  a  right  to  touch 
it  but  the  owners  of  the  island,  to  whom  it  may  be  a  waif;  but 
it  is  to  be  regrett^'d  that  it  should  be  allowed  to  remain  on  tlie 
shore  to  rot,  as  much  of  it  has  no  doubt  done.  Tiio  captain  of 
a  fishing  schooner  that  had  not  been  very  successful  in  taking 
fish,  applied  to  me,  when  I  was  leoving  Heath  Point,  to  know 
where  the  greater  accumulation  of  it  might  be  found,  express- 
ing an  intention  of  cutting  some  of  the  squared  timber  into 
convenient  lengths,  and  loading  his  vessel  with  it  for  Nova 
Scotia.  More  may,  perhaps,  be  in  the  habit  of  pursuing  a  simi- 
lar trade. 


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